The United States and Somali forces have successfully killed a notorious Al-Shabaab commander in a joint operation.
According to a Somali official, Ahmed Iman Ali was killed during a morning raid near Dinsor, Somalia on March 16th. Ali was responsible for multiple attacks and was considered a high-ranking commander within the Al-Shabaab extremist group.
The joint U.S.-Somali forces assessed that Ali led armed extremist militants in carrying out deadly attacks in villages and towns in Somalia. The U.S. Africa Command stated that in order to degrade Al-Shabaab’s tactical capability and its freedom to operate, they will continue to conduct operations, as well as work with the Somali government and other partners to reduce the aim of terrorists.
Recently, in an operation on March 1st, a team of U.S. and Somali special forces were able to rescue a Somali-American citizen who was kidnapped by Al-Shabaab in 2019. According to the African Command, the rescue operation occurred without any civilian casualties.
Although Ali’s death marks a major victory against Al-Shabaab, the terrorist group is still actively targeting civilians and terrorist activity continues in Somalia. Earlier this week, an Al-Shabaab attack also left 26 people dead at a hotel in Mogadishu.
Together with the Somali government and its international partners, the United States is committed to breaking the cycle of violence and securing the long-term stability of Somalia. The U.S. is also increasing its military support to the Somali government, including training and equipping Somali National Army forces, in order to strengthen the security forces in the region.
With the death of Al-Shabaab’s Ahmed Iman Ali, the joint forces between the US and Somalia have demonstrated their commitment to preventing terrorism and reducing the violence in Somalia. However, there is still more work that needs to be done in order to fully rid the region of terrorism and ensure the safety of civilians.