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NISA Says Former Al-Shabaab Amniyaat Leader Killed in Jilib

Storyline:Security, War on Al-Shabaab

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency says it killed a former commander of Al-Shabaab’s Amniyaat assassination unit in an overnight operation in Jilib district, as government forces continue targeting senior militant leaders.

NISA said Bashir Ahmed Haji Nunow was killed on Oct. 1 in an operation carried out with support from international partners. The agency identified him as a former leader of the group’s Amniyaat unit, a position it said he held from 2016 to 2024.

According to NISA, Nunow also operated under the aliases Geescadde, Fanax, Gardhuub and Ali Dheere and was among the senior Al-Shabaab figures involved in planning and carrying out attacks in Somalia.

The agency linked him to several major attacks, including the Oct. 14, 2017, bombing at the Soobe junction in Mogadishu, the Ex-Control Afgooye attack and the Soobe 2 attack, as well as attacks targeting hotels and other locations along Liido beach.

The agency said the operation was part of an ongoing campaign, conducted with international partners, to target Al-Shabaab leaders and disrupt networks involved in planning and carrying out attacks.

NISA described Nunow’s death as a setback for the group’s leadership and assassination networks, but did not disclose details of the operation, including the nature of the international support or the weapons used.

The agency urged members of the public to provide information on suspected Al-Shabaab and Islamic State militants through its designated security hotlines.