Somalia: Ethiopian Forces Reportedly Killed Three Key Al-Shabaab Leaders

Ethiopian forces reportedly killed three key Al-Shabab leaders in the latest operation in the South Eastern Part of the country bordering Somalia region.

A joint Ethiopian Defense Force and Somali region special forces operation in Aato area, where Al-Shabab opened attack on Friday, after its fighters were wiped out in the in two villages earlier in the week, eliminated Fu’ad Mohamed (also known as Sanqole), who is said to be chief of coordination of Al-Shabab, AbdulAziz Abu Musa (Al-Shabaab spokesman), and Ubeda Nur Isse who is said to be head of Al-Shabaab forces along the Ethiopian border.

BBC Amharic on Friday said a Somali region government official anonymously said that Al- Shabaab forces on Friday morning opened fire in Aato and there was an exchange of fire.

Fu’ad Mohamed has a bounty on his head for the United States has announced a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture or his death. Fuad is said to have Swedish citizenship.

Major General Tesfaye Ayalew, Head of deployment in the Ethiopian Defense Force and coordinator of Security Command Post, has confirmed to Ethiopian State media, Ethiopian News Agency, that the three Al-Shabab leaders are killed near the Ethiopian border.

Apart from the killings of the leaders, the terrorist group lost hundreds of its forces as the Ethiopian Defense Force and Somali region special forces responded to its attack in two Somalia towns bordering Ethiopia – Aato and Yode. Vehicles that the group used were destroyed, and fire arms sized, according to EBC.

It is unclear if there were casualties from the Ethiopian forces.

Last week, the terrorist forces were encircled and wiped out, and those who survived surrendered to the Ethiopian forces, according Ethiopian State media report.

Al-Shabab attempted an operation on Friday for a third time in less than a week. More than 200 of its forces were wiped out in two different locations in the same part of Ethiopia, according to the Ethiopian government.

Mustafa Mohammed, president of Somali regional State of Ethiopia, on Thursday warned that Al-Shabab might attempt to launch a new attack despite devastating defeat in the same week.

Major General Tesfaye Ayalew is saying the same thing. He said the group might attempt another attack in the months to come.

Al-Shabab has not yet remarked about the death of its three leaders.