A top Kenyan-born notorious Al-Shabaab commander was reportedly killed on Monday following a KDF airstrike in the outskirts of Jubaland in war torn Somalia, local media has reported.
The new development comes days after it emerged that KDF solders had withdrawn from the Northern Sector that mostly covers Jubaland, a move that raised concerns from among local leaders.
"On Tuesday morning, a contingent of troops made the final withdrawal from Busar. “Our people spotted the troops heading towards the Somali border. They destroyed their military base before leaving,” a senior politician from Gedo, who requested not to be named for fear of reprisals by both KDF and Somali security forces, told the Nation.
Mr Iman Ali is accused of leading several assaults on Kenyan team both in Somalia and in the country, and has often been seen in videos circulated by the militants once claiming victories in several attacks.
RTN Somali TV claimed that the notorious terrorist was killed on the strike but did not give any further details to the same. The news could be a major boost in the war against the militants.
"An airstrike may have killed Kenyan born terrorists and group top commander, Ahmad Iman Ali and over 40 other members of the Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Shabaab Mujahideen," the station tweeted.
Kenya lost at least 200 soldiers in 2016 at El Adde military camp, the worst assault on the forces ever since gaining grounds in Somalia in 2011 under Operation Linda Nchi initiative.
After the attack, a video of Iman addressing the media emerged where he vowed to continue onslaught against Kenya both in Somalia and across the border. He was among the most wanted militants in the Kenyan mission.
However, the KDF team is yet to confirm the latest development despite being widely reported in the media. Kenya has also suffered several assaults by the militants with the latest coming this year at DusitD2 Hotel in Nairobi.