The U.S. military command in Africa, AFRICOM, confirmed that the strike near Jilib killed one al-Shabab militant and said there were no civilian casualties. The U.S. identified Ayman as the leader of Jaysh Ayman, an al-Shabab unit that conducts terrorist attacks and operations in Kenya and Somalia. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the Manda Bay attack and published purported video of the group’s emir, Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah, personally meeting the attackers before the operation. Ayman is the second al-Shabab commander connected to the Manda Bay attack who has been killed in a U.S. strike. In March 2020, the U.S. reported an operation that it said had killed Bashir Qoorgaab, who was linked to the planning of the operation.

Source: Ethiopian News December 21, 2023 23:28 UTC