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The court heard he recruited and radicalised a minor, facilitating their attempted travel to Somalia with promises of financial gain and military training.
Security agencies in Eastleigh, Nairobi, seized 11 bales of suspected Al-Shabaab combat uniforms tied to a cross-border supply chain, following an earlier Dhobley seizure, with several suspects now in custody.
According to a press release issued by Somalia’s Ministry of Defence on March 26, 2026, the joint forces inflicted a “heavy defeat” on the militants, who had targeted the strategic town of Mubarak during the holy month of Ramadan.
Abdikarim Hassanow Hassan, also known as Ali, was found guilty under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012, after evidence presented in court showed he orchestrated a scheme to radicalise and recruit a minor, while providing support for travel to Somalia to join the terrorist group.
The unit added that the Somalia-based terror group had planned to attack during the month of Ramadan.
In a statement on Friday, Jubaland Statehouse confirmed that the toll among militants is rising while authorities maintain tight control over captured fighters.
AUSSOM said the operation was conducted jointly by the Somali National Army (SNA), AUSSOM troops, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and international partners, with support from air assets.
The targeted operation on Monday, SNA said, was carefully prepared and executed, “resulting in the killing of Ahmed Sheikh Omar Ado Gacal, a senior commander within the Al-Shabaab militant group.”
According to a statement from the Counter Terrorism Policing Kenya, the operation followed an intelligence report from members of the local community, who alerted security agencies after spotting suspicious activity in the area.
Murkomen also extended an apology to the five chiefs, who were travelling to attend a preparatory meeting for President William Ruto’s scheduled visit when they were seized.
Several other militants managed to escape with injuries during the operation.
The Ministry described the strike as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Al-Shabaab’s leadership and weaken the militant group’s operational capacity