The Somali government has announced that a co-founder and senior al-Shabab militant, Abdullahi Nadir, was killed on Saturday in the southern Middle Juba region.
The Somali information ministry said that Nadir was the head of al-Shabab’s religious propagation unit and was the subject of a 3million US Dollar reward.
It added that al-Shabab considered Nadir a potential successor to its current leader, Ahmed Omar Diriye, who has long been rumoured to be in poor health.
Private media reported that Nadir was killed in a drone strike.
The information ministry said that Somali security forces and international partners killed Nadir in an operation.
The US Africa Command, which frequently targets top al-Shabab militants and positions, has not yet commented on the development. END.