Al Shabaab’s key communication official killed in air strike
A key Al Shabaab official was on Tuesday night killed in an airstrike in Jiib, Somalia.
Mr Ibrahim Abu Hamza, who until his death served as the militant group communications chief, was in the company of other high-ranking militants when they were attacked.
Reports indicate that Abu Hamza was targeted while traveling in a convoy outside Jilib district.
Although other high-ranking militants had accompanied him on the trip, only the death of the communications chief was confirmed.
Identification of the officers who were killed during the attack is ongoing.
“The attack was coordinated with ground offensive targeting the militants’ camp killing several others in the process,” officials said on Wednesday.
ATTACKS
The death of the fighter, who has been the main link between Al Shabaab and Al Qaeda, is a blow to the group as it will take them more time to rebuild the relationship with the Iraq based fighters.
Experts say it takes years to build a relationship for liaison between any militants group and as such it is likely to stall major plans and attacks by the terror organization.
The series of ground attacks being launched in Jilib are targeted towards the fighters as the town is well known by Kenyan Intelligence sources as a place where militants produce and keep explosives.