Al Shabaab Leader on US Wanted List Killed in Somalia

Somalia, 2 January 2026 Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency ( NISA)  has confirmed the killing of senior Al Shabaab leader, Abdullahi Osman Mahamed  also known as  Engineer Ismail,  in a targeted  airstrike in  Jilib district of  Middle Juba region on 10 December last year.

In a  press release NISA said  Engineer Ismail, who was on  U.S. wanted list, was killed along with his counterpart Abdikariin Mahamed Hersi (Qoorleex). The airstrike was carried out with the help of international partners working closely with Somali security forces.

According to Somali intelligence, Ismail held critical positions in Al Shabaab ranks,  including head of explosives production and head of the group's media operations. He was, at the time of his death, the head of Al-Shabaab’s security and intelligence services.

 Engineer Osman was considered the "brain" behind many of Al-Shabaab's operations. He was responsible for planning and executing attacks, and had strong ties with Al-Qaeda. His connections with Al-Qaeda were seen as crucial to the group's operations.

Intelligence sources revealed that Engineer Osman completed his primary education in Mogadishu before proceeding to Sudan for  his higher education. He became one of the most powerful leaders within Al-Shabaab, and survived several assassination attempts over the years.