Mastermind of Dusit, Westgate attacks killed in airstrike, US Africa Command confirms
Mohamed Mire, who led Somali militant group al Shabaab as the chief financer during the Westgate and Dusit D2 attacks in Kenya, was killed in an airstrike last month, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has confirmed.
Yesterday, AFRICOM said it initiated the airstrike near Quyno Barrow, 260 kilometres from Mogadishu, and two Al-Shabaab Militants were killed including Mire.
“On December 24, in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted a precision airstrike in Quyno Barrow that resulted in the death of senior al-Shabaab leader, Mohamed Mire, and another al-Shabaab militant,” it said in the statement.
It added that no civilian was harmed during the attack.
“In addition to being the militant group’s longest-serving member, Mire also served as the interior Minister and played a key role in their strategic decision-making.”
US Marine Corps AFRICOM commander Michael Langley said the US national security strategy is focused on countering evolving threats adding that Al-Shabaab remains the biggest barrier to achieving that.
The killing of Mire comes two years after the US State Department of State identified him as a specifically designated global terrorist under Executive Order 13224.
Al-Shabaab had also earlier announced the death of Mire in the strike.
“He was not lucky this month when American aircraft bombed him at the midnight of December 24.” Al-Shabaab said in their statement last month.
Mire also known as Abu Abdirahman has been responsible for Al-Shabaab’s regional governance in Somalia for 15 years.
Before being promoted to key roles in the militant group, including the financial role and later the Interior Minister, Mire served as the group’s shadow boss in the volatile Hiraan region.
He was involved in the group’s financing, planning, facilitating, and executing attacks in Kenya and Somalia.
Mire was also linked to Al-lttihad al Islamiyya (AIAL), Somalia’s largest jihadist group, which operated in the nineties and was involved in disrupting operations by the UN, US and Ethiopia.
Amongst the major attacks he was involved in, in Kenya is the September 21, 2013 Westgate attack in Nairobi that killed 62 civilians even though security forces led by the international partners managed to kill all four attackers.
Five Kenya Defence Forces officers also lost their lives during a day siege.
On January 15, 2019, the Al-Shabaab also launched another attack at the 14 drive Riverside Drive claiming the lives of 21 civilians and one GSU officer.
All five attackers were killed during the security complex response and the complex was secured by January 16, 2019.
