The death of Maalim Ayman, a senior member of the Al-Shabaab militant group operating in Somalia and Kenya, was announced Friday by Somali Information Minister Daud Aweis. Ayman was reportedly eliminated during a joint military operation between Somali and American forces.
According to Aweis, Ayman was responsible for planning several deadly terrorist attacks in Somalia and neighboring countries. He is notably involved in the terrorist attack against American and Kenyan personnel at Manda Bay Air Base in Kenya on January 5, 2020. Three Americans were killed, including a soldier and two civilian contractors. Two other U.S. service members and a civilian contractor were injured, according to the U.S. State Department.
The US government had placed a bounty of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maalim Ayman in January this year.
Al-Shabaab was designated as a terrorist group by the United States in 2008 and by a United Nations Security Council committee in 2010. A request for comment was sent to the U.S. State Department by CNN.
The death of Maalim Ayman is a blow to Al-Shabaab, which has already been weakened in recent years by the joint efforts of Somali, Kenyan and foreign forces to fight the terrorist group. However, it is important to remain vigilant and continue security operations to prevent any resurgence of the terrorist threat in the region.
It is also crucial to continue intelligence and cooperation efforts between relevant countries to effectively dismantle terrorist networks and prevent future attacks. The death of Maalim Ayman is a victory in the fight against terrorism, but it is necessary to maintain pressure on extremist groups to guarantee regional security and stability.