An airstrike has killed the head of intelligence of al-Shabab, a Somali-based extremist group which is believed to have been among those who planned attacks on Kenyans.
Advertisement
Al-Shabab denied the claim of Karate’s death, saying it was aimed at drawing attention from “significant losses” of Kenyan soldiers in a recent attack in Somalia.
He said 42 recruits were also killed and “many others” injured.
On January 15, Al-Shabaab attacked the KDF camp in El-Adde, killing an unknown number of soldiers.
“His killing adds to that of Abdi Dek, the operation commander of the Abu Zubeir Brigade that carried out the attack in El adde”, read the statement.
KDF spokesman Col David Obonyo said Thursday Mr Karatey had gone to the camp to preside over the pass out of an estimated 80 Alamnyat recruits who had completed their training and were due for deployment to carry out more terror attacks.
Amniyat is comprised of suicide bombers, assassins, explosives experts and information gatherers, the KDF said. Kenya deployed its troops in Somalia in 2011 to help troops from other African countries fighting the militant group.
Karate was put on the US State Department’s wanted terrorist list in April 2015 after the Garissa attack, which followed the 2013 attack in the Kenyan capital when Shabaab gunmen slaughtered at least 67 people at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall.
Karate was also the deputy of former Shebab leader Ahmed Godane, killed in a USA drone strike in September 2014.
Karate, also known as Abdirahim Mohamed Warsame, was responsible for the recent attack on Garissa University College in Kenya that resulted in almost 150 deaths.
Security sources believed Karate to be a key advocate of switching allegiance from al-Qaeda to Islamic State, an ongoing and bloody debate within the Shabaab.
He played a key role in last month’s deadly attack on a Kenyan military base in Somalia, the army said.
Advertisement
“We will establish a new prison to hold violent, extremist offenders – the truth of the matter is that we can not allow them to spread their poison to vulnerable Kenyans”, he said in a speech.
