Former al-Shabaab Amniyat chief responsible for the Banadir region has been reportedly killed in the Middle Juba region. The former intelligence boss is said to have resigned from his position before he was killed by the group.
Musa Maalim was killed in the al-Shabaab-controlled town of Buale in the middle Jubba region. Maalim’s death comes as reports indicate that his successor was also in custody as per the direction of al-Shabaab powerful unit commander Ahmed Diriye.
Al Shabaab has previously killed members including high ranking officials that it suspects are disloyal to its operations.
Al Shabaab’s internal wrangles have accelerated in the past few weeks as evidenced by the attack and execution of such a high-ranking member of the group. While the group’s leadership is yet to comment on the reason for Maalim’s death, Al Shabaab’s emir fired several members of the executive committee due to an apparent chronic disagreement on the targeting of civilians by the terror organization.
Evidentially, the killing and arrest of the two commanders of the intelligence wing can be attributed to the pressure the group is facing owing to the increased number of airstrikes by the United States as well as increased ground assault by troops and allied partners like AMISOM. Al Shabaab has suffered major losses in the past two months and the group’s leadership could attribute the assaults to laxity within its intelligence wing.
