Somalia’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed the killing of a senior al-Shabab figure in charge of the group’s finances during a targeted operation on Sunday in the country’s southwestern region.
In a statement, the ministry said that Abdullahi Abukar Ali, al-Shabab’s head of finance, responsible for managing funds extorted from civilians and coordinating the recruitment of child soldiers was killed near Hudur town in the Bakool region.
“Abukar was a key operative who had long operated in Bakool under al-Shabab’s control and was among the most wanted members of the group,” the ministry said in its statement issued in Mogadishu on Sunday evening.
The ministry praised the Somali National Army for carrying out the precision operation, saying it had eliminated a significant threat and dealt a major blow to al-Shabab’s operational network in the region.
The government noted that the operation is part of a wider nationwide offensive against terrorism aimed at dismantling al-Shabab’s capabilities and restoring peace and stability across Somalia.
This latest operation came just a day after allied forces recaptured the strategic town of Bariire, which al-Shabab had used as a launchpad for terrorist attacks in the region and in the capital, Mogadishu.
