Somali forces kill Al-Shabaab leader behind failed assassination of president  

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The intelligence forces of Somalia have reportedly eliminated the leader of the al-Shabaab group behind the aborted assassination of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in one of the most dramatic operations in the country.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud survived the Al-Shabaab assassination plot in March this year, in an attack that left several security operatives dead in the capital, Mogadishu.

Mohamed Abdi Dhiblawe, the man behind the plot, is said to have been killed following an operation conducted by local forces along with their international partners in Ugunji village, Lower Shabelle region of Somalia.

"Senior Al-Shabaab terrorist leader Mohamed Abdi Dhiblawe, who was the mastermind behind the explosion targeting President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy in Mogadishu on 18 March 2025, was eliminated in an operation executed by security teams and international partners in Ugunji village, Lower Shabelle," state media reports.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has been a target of Al-Shabaab for elimination but has managed to survive the ordeal. The attack was widely condemned by local leaders and members of the international community who called for collaboration in the Al-Shabaab war.

Elsewhere, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the Israeli attack in Qatar targeting Hamas, terming it blatant aggression against a sovereign state which has played a key role in the fighting against terrorists.

"President Hassan Mohamud held a phone call with H.H. Tamim Bin Hamad to extend condolences after Israeli aggression in Doha. He reaffirmed Somalia’s solidarity with Qatar, stressing violations of UN Charter principles and the urgent need for peace and stability in the region," state media reports.

Qatar has been leading peace deal negotiations between Israel and Palestine with facilitation from the United States. President Donald Trump regretted the attack but maintained that the fight against terrorism remains an unwavering resolve of his foreign policy.

GAROWE ONLINE