MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s intelligence agency says a drone strike has killed a senior al-Shabab figure in Hiiraan region during a coordinated security operation.
Hussein Abdullahi Dalab was killed in the raid carried out in Show area. He led al-Shabab’s secret intelligence and security wing (Amniyat) across both the Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions.
The agency said Dalab played a central role in coordinating attacks on civilians and security forces in south and central Somalia.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked group, has not yet commented on Dalab’s killing in Tuesday’s security operation.
Somali government has increased military pressure on al-Shabab, seeking to reclaim territory and disrupt the group’s operations.
Al-Shabab has waged a violent insurgency for over a decade to overthrow Somalia’s government and impose a harsh version of Islamic law.
Despite air and ground operations, the militant group continues to carry out deadly attacks on army bases in south and central Somalia.
For the last three months, the group seized several towns following pre-dawn attacks that began with suicide explosions, followed by gun battles.
Al-Shabab still holds large swaths of rural territory, including the Middle Jubba region, where its top leaders have been based since being driven out of Mogadishu in 2011.