This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On November 6, 2019, a key Al Shabaab official was killed in an airstrike in Jiib, Somalia.
Mr. Ibrahim Abu Hamza, the group's communications chief, was traveling in a convoy outside Jilib district when he was targeted.
Although other high-ranking militants were with him, only Abu Hamza's death was confirmed.
Identification of the other officers killed in the attack is ongoing.
According to officials, the attack was coordinated with a ground offensive targeting the militants' camp, resulting in the deaths of several others.
The death of Abu Hamza, who served as the main link between Al Shabaab and Al Qaeda, is a significant blow to the group.
Experts say it takes years to build a relationship between militant groups, and Abu Hamza's loss is likely to stall major plans and attacks by Al Shabaab.
