US wanted Al-Shabaab commander with $5m on his head killed in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A senior Al-Shabaab commander killed in the US airstrike on Feb. 22 has been identified, the Somalia government said, ending the long wait from both sides.

In coordination with SNA soldiers, the US military conducted an airstrike at Saakow town, killing two terrorists whom AFRICOM identified as "senior Al-Shabaab leader and his wife" in a media briefing by Gen. Stephen Townsend.

State-owned media reported that the terrorist killed in the strike was "Bashir Qorgab, who is responsible for various sophisticated Al-Shabaab operations" within Somalia.

Although the state-owned outlets did not divulge to finer details, they, however, noted that he was "a wanted fugitive" who had been in the military radar for several years before his demise.

In a statement, AFRICOM had described him as the commander in charge of "planning and directing operations" in the Manda Airfield attack on Jan. 5 in Kenya, which left three Americans dead.

The Airfield was playing home to US Marine Corps. His wife, AFRICOM noted, was also an "active" Al-Shabaab member responsible for "facilitating" terrorist activities.

“Since January 5, U.S. Africa Command and our partners have pursued those responsible for the attack on U.S. and Kenyan forces at Manda Bay,” Townsend, the AFRICOM commander, had said.

“This strike demonstrates that we will continue to relentlessly pursue those responsible for Manda Bay and those wishing to do harm to Americans and our African partners.”

A quick search on the US State Department records shows Mr. Bashir Qorgab, otherwise known as Bashir Mohamed Mohamoud, had been designated by the US due to his links to Al-Shabaab.

The State Department labeled him as a member of "Harakat Shabaab al-Muhahidin" which is responsible for suicide attacks. As of late 2008, he was also one of approximately 10 members on al-Shabaab’s leadership council.

After his designation in 2010, the US placed a $5 million bounty on his head. His designation was signed by the US Department of Treasury under Executive Order 13536 for "contributing to the violence and the deterioration" of security in Somalia.

Last month, Somalia's spy agency NISA, under the stewardship of Fahad Yasin, also listed him as one of the commanders expelled by Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Omar, alongside another wanted terrorist Mohad Karate.

The two had reportedly clashed with Mr. Omar over attacks targeting civilians in Mogadishu, after they condemned December 28 explosion which left over 90 people dead, reports indicated.

At the time of his death in Saakow, Mr. Bashir was at loggerheads with the Al-Shabaab leadership, but it's not clear whether or not he had quit, officials said.

While testifying before the US Senate committee, Townsend conceded that Al-Shabaab caught US military "unprepared" when it raided Manda Airfield. Five militants were, however, killed after a heavy gunfight.

Immediately after the raid, AFRICOM deployed East Africa Response Force [EARF] for reinforcement besides "simultaneously" pursuing the attackers, Townsend added.

Bashir's death is a great milestone in the fight against Al-Shabaab, which the US describes as the "largest and most kinetically active al-Qaeda network" in the world.

“Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate, is an evil and remorseless enemy of peace, stability, and freedom in East Africa and threatens the very way of life of people there, as well as Americans and U.S. interest in the region and abroad,” said Townsend.

Last year, the militants also attempted to break into Ballidogle military base in Somalia, which also plays host to US elite forces. At least 11 militants were killed in an attack that was successfully repulsed, officials added.

Although the militants have been greatly weakened, they have, however, managed to execute sporadic attacks mainly targeting foreigners and security forces, UN noted.

GAROWE ONLINE