Mogadishu, 21 December 2023: Somali and US forces have killed a senior al-Shabaab commander in a joint operation in the Middle Juba region, the Somali government announced on Wednesday.
The slain militant, identified as as Ma’aalin Ayman was among the senior leaders of Alshabaab Khawarij.
The government said Ma’aalin Ayman was responsible for planning and executing several terrorist attacks in Somalia and neighboring countries, and that his death was a major blow to the al-Shabaab network.
The raid took place on December 17 in the district of Jilib, a stronghold of al-Shabaab. The Somali government, backed by its people and its international partners, vowed to continue its campaign to eradicate al-Shabaab and its affiliates from the country.
The government also renewed its call for al-Shabaab fighters and leaders who have been deceived by the Khawarij ideology to renounce violence and join the peace process, warning them that they would face the full force of the Somali National Army and its allies if they did not.
