Terrorist leader killed in air strike
What you need to know:
- The government of Jubaland reportedly said that Mr Kuno was among those killed in Bulagaduud, about 30km from Kismayu in the overnight raid.
- Quoting the Commander of the Jubaland forces Gen Aadan Koojar, sources said that Mr Kuno was killed together with his three bodyguards.
- However, military spokesman Colonel David Obonyo said that they had not received any reports about the death of the Kenyan national who is among the most wanted terror suspect.
Details about the killing of one of the most wanted terror suspects in a targeted air strike in Somalia remain scanty.
The Kenya Defence Forces on Wednesday said they could not confirm reports that the Kenyan-born terrorist behind the Garissa University College attack, Mohamed Dulyadayn, alias Kuno, had been killed in the air strike.
There was a targeted air strike in Jubaland on Tuesday night in which at least four militants were killed.
One of the bodies is suspected to be Kuno's and authorities would conduct a DNA test since his family members are well known.
The government of Jubaland reportedly said that Kuno (also known as Gamadhere) was among those killed in Bulagaduud, about 30km from Kismayu in the overnight raid.
Quoting the commander of the Jubaland forces, Gen Aadan Koojar, sources said Kuno was killed together with his three bodyguards.
However, military spokesman Col David Obonyo said they had not received any reports about the death of the Kenyan national, who is among the most wanted terror suspects.
“The area is under the control of the Ethiopian forces but we have not received any communication from them,” he said.
Kuno, a former teacher in Garissa until 2007, was in charge of external operations against Kenya.
In July last year, there were reports that Kuno had been killed in a dawn air strike in Juungal, but the Interior ministry later clarified that he had not been killed.
He first came to the attention of Kenyans when a Sh20 million bounty was put on his head by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations on December 17, 2014,
There have been intensified US operations in Kenya and in neighbouring Somalia in the recent past.
He crossed the border into Somalia to join the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which at one point controlled much of the country. When the UIC collapsed, he joined the militant group Hizbul Islam, which in 2010 merged with Al-Shabaab.
In May last year, terrorists raided a mosque in Yumbis and forcibly lectured locals on terror before leaving after daybreak.
A day after the mosque raid, Kenyan security forces reported that they had thwarted a planned attack by the terrorists on a village in Fafi constituency.
The terrorists, led by Kuno, crossed into Kenya and lectured people for two hours.
They even hoisted their flags there before the security forces arrived.
