US offers $27M reward for info on al-Shabaab leaders

WASHINGTON

The State Department on Wednesday offered a reward of up to $27 million for information that leads to locating six leaders of a Somalia-based militant group.

"The U.S. Secretary of State has authorized rewards of up to $6 million for information on the whereabouts of Abu Ubaidah (Direye), up to $5 million each for information on Mahad Karate, Ma’alim Daud, and Hassan Afgooye, and up to $3 million each for information on Maalim Salman and Ahmed Iman Ali," a statement from the State Department said.

Abu Ubaidah, also known as Direye, was last year named leader of al-Shabaab after the death of the head of the group, Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed, said the State Department.

Mahad Karate, also known as Abdirahman Mohamed Warsame, has allegedly played a key role in assassinations and an attack on Garissa University College in Kenya in April that killed 147 victims and wounded at least 80 others.

The U.S. government said Ma’alim Daud is responsible for al-Shabaab’s planning, recruitment, training, and operations against the Somali government and Western targets.

Maalim Salman leads al-Shabaab’s African foreign fighters and is allegedly involved in operations in Africa that targets tourists, entertainment establishments and churches.

Hassan Afgooye oversees the group’s financial network while Ahmed Iman Ali has recruited Kenyan youth and raised funds for al-Shabaab.

Since being established in 2006, the militant group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Africa, particularly Somalia, Uganda and Kenya.

It claimed responsibility for the July 11, 2010, suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, which killed more than 70 victims, including one American.

An attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi in 2013 left more than 60 dead and nearly 200 wounded.

The U.S. in 2008 designated the group a foreign terrorist organization.

Al-Shabaab formed an alliance with al-Qaeda in 2012.