Intelligence sources announced August. 26th 2020 that a military operation carried out by a specific Military Unmanned Aerial vehicle with intelligence support at Cadaad Geri Central Somalia has resulted in the death of Abdikadir Osman Yarow Chichana aka Abdikadir Commando. Cadaad Geri is a village between Dinsoor and Baadhreere in Upper Middle Jubba.
Abdikadir Commando in his mid-50 was actively involved in training of the terror group field operations commanders. The unmanned aerial vehicle strike targeted his hideout in Saakow in upper Southern Somalia region (Middle Jubba) midday local time. Chichana was the head of training for Hizbul Islam militant group, a core element in the formation of the terror group. Sheikh Abduqadir Yarow, joined the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Shabaab Mujahideen in 2011 after his Hizbul Islam group led by former terrorist leader Hassan Dahir Aweys , merged with the Al-Qaeda branch. Abdikadir Osman Yarow is believed to have played a key role in fighting Ethiopian Defense Forces (ENDF) troops in Somalia in the period between 2007 and 2009 through Jabha Islamiya militant group and later between 2013 and 2016.
Assessment
At the Strategic Intelligence Service, we continue to believe that the al Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Shabaab al-Mujahideen is off balance and significantly concerned for its core leadership’ssecurity. The core group no longer enjoys the operational freedom it did prior the period before 2019. We also believe, and it’s significantly visible, that the group no longer has the same operational capability in terms of regional operations logistics and fiscally that it had prior to 2018 in retrospect.
The group also lost key commanders between 2015 and 2017 including Muhamed Kuno Gamadheere, Yusuf Haji, Ibrahim Naalaye, Mustafa Arab, and Abdullahi Irad. Kinetic military operations by Kenyan military in Southern Somalia has significantly weakened conditions that fuels its growth and propell’s it to the forefront of the jihadist movement. However, the threat hasn’t disappeared, the group continues to attract jihadists and expand its grassroots jihadist movement in the region. The death of a founder member will most certainly have far reaching psychological effects on its leadership, and that is a very significant counter terrorism gain.
