Tuesday June 18, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) — A U.S. airstrike in Somalia targeted Abdiqadir Mu'min, the leader of ISIS in the country, in late May, according to the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). The outcome of the airstrike, including whether Mu'min was killed, remains unclear, American officials said.
A statement issued by AFRICOM on May 31 confirmed the targeting of Daesh in the Al-Bari mountains. The statement read, "With the cooperation of the Federal Government of Somalia, the United States Africa Command carried out an airstrike in Somalia targeting Daesh militias." The bombing occurred in a remote area near Daardar, approximately 81 kilometres southeast of Bosaso, Somalia. Preliminary assessments indicate that three Daesh members were killed, with no reported civilian casualties.
The BBC has not independently verified if Mu'min was harmed in the attack. Reports before the bombing suggested that the Daesh leader was in poor health and had travelled to West Africa for medical treatment.
Who is Abdiqadir Mu'min?
Mu'min was born in Puntland, Somalia, and later moved to Europe, living in Sweden before moving to the UK in the early 2000s. He gained British citizenship and became known as a firebrand preacher in London and Leicester. Monitored by MI5, he was associated with extremists like Mohamed Emwazi ("Jihadi John") and Michael Adebolajo, one of the perpetrators of the 2013 murder of British soldier Lee Rigby.
In 2010, Mu'min travelled to Somalia to join al-Shabaab, where he burned his British passport and served as a propagandist and imam. In 2012, he was dispatched to eastern Somaliland to bolster local fighters. In October 2015, Mu'min announced his defection from al-Shabaab to ISIS, forming a small faction in the Golis mountains. Despite lacking battlefield experience, he sought to establish a new ISIS foothold in Somalia, though his group remained small and faced attacks from al-Shabaab loyalists.
Reports indicate that ISIS under Mu'min's leadership has between 100 and 200 fighters, with 60 percent being foreigners. The group has struggled to gain significant support in terms of manpower, money, and materials. In recent years, Mu'min's group has been involved in training activities in Puntland's eastern mountains.
There were unconfirmed reports of Mu'min being in poor health and travelling to West Africa for medical treatment. Preliminary assessments indicated that three Daesh members were killed in the strike with no civilian casualties.
In August 2016, the U.S. Department of State designated Abdiqadir Mu'min as a "specially designated global terrorist," underscoring the threat he poses despite the limited size of his faction.