Somalia’s al-Shabab militants have released a video that for the first time gives a partial view of the group’s leader, Abu Ubaidah.
The video, released Tuesday, shows Ubaidah meeting with Shabab fighters in a forest before the group’s failed Sept. 30 raid on Ballidogle, an airbase used by U.S. forces in Somalia.
The video shows Ubaidah’s hands and shoulders but blurs out his face. His voice his heard addressing the would-be attackers, telling them to target U.S. military personnel in the attack.
Our biggest target today is the Americans, not the apostates,” says Abu Ubaidah in his address.
In the video, the commentator decries death inflicted on innocent children and women, condemning the US of supporting military activities in the Horn of Africa region.
The militants cited the US as a major ‘impedance’ to peace and stability in Somalia, calling for the withdrawal of the soldiers with immediate effect.
Further, they argued, the US should stop bombardment targeting civilians, withdraw training of Somali soldiers and freeze support for AMISOM.
The U.S. has offered a reward of up to $6 million for information leading to Ubaidah’s capture. Ubaidah, previously known as Ahmed Diriye, became al-Shabab’s emir in 2014 after the death of the previous leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane.
Godane was one of many al-Shabab fighters and leaders who were killed in attacks by U.S. aircraft and drones.
The video is presumed to have been captured moments to foiled attack at Ballidogle military base, where the US trains SNA. Omar is heard encouraging the militants to run over the base.
The new video does show the faces and names of about a dozen militants who participated in the Ballidogle attack. Somali and U.S. officials said all the militants who took part in the attack were killed before penetrating the base.
Tuesday’s video comes barely a week after the US released counterterrorism report for 2018, where Al-Shabaab was ranked as the biggest threat to stability in East Africa.
As part of the recommendation, the State Department said, the US will continue to equip her allies in the fight against Al-Shabaab, adding that the group will soon be degraded
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