Somalia’s NISA kills Al-Shabaab finance chief in targeted operation
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency, working with international partners, killed Abdullahi Hassan Abdi Cosoble — widely known as Abdullahi Wadaad — in a planned operation on Jan. 23 in the Kuunyo Barrow area of the Lower Shabelle region, the agency said.
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NISA identified Wadaad as the militant group’s chief financial commander, overseeing the collection and management of money illegally extracted from Somali citizens. According to authorities, he previously led operations tied to so-called “zakat” collection in Lower Shabelle and the Banadir region, activity that involved widespread extortion and harassment of local businesses and civilians.
The agency said it had long tracked Wadaad for exploiting public resources and harming civilians, and had earlier circulated his photograph and related intelligence to the Somali public. Officials framed the operation as a significant step toward disrupting al-Shabaab’s financing apparatus and reducing the group’s capacity to intimidate communities through forced levies.
NISA emphasized that removing a senior figure from the group’s financial network is intended to ease pressure on traders and households who have faced systematic demands for money under the guise of religious taxation. Authorities said the strike advances ongoing efforts to shield Somali communities from financial predation and violence tied to the group’s fundraising machinery.
Lower Shabelle, a strategic region south of Mogadishu, has seen persistent militant activity and extortion targeting trade routes and farming communities. The Banadir region — which encompasses the capital — has likewise been a focal point for revenue extraction schemes that target market hubs and neighborhood businesses. Security officials say the operation in Kuunyo Barrow is part of broader pressure on the group’s logistics and finance networks across southern and central Somalia.
While operational details were not elaborated, the agency’s statement underscored the role of intelligence-sharing with international partners in locating Wadaad and coordinating the strike. Somali security officials have sought to combine local informant networks with technical surveillance to map the financial operatives who underpin the group’s reach and resilience.
Authorities say targeting financial commanders serves a dual purpose: interrupting the flow of funds used to sustain operations and signaling to middle-tier operatives that leadership ranks are vulnerable. The move also aligns with a government strategy that pairs battlefield operations with efforts to dismantle extortion pipelines that have long burdened civilians and merchants.
Key developments
- Target: Abdullahi Hassan Abdi Cosoble (aka Abdullahi Wadaad), identified as al-Shabaab’s chief financial commander.
- Date and location: Jan. 23, in the Kuunyo Barrow area of Lower Shabelle.
- Agency action: NISA conducted the operation in coordination with international partners.
- Alleged activities: Oversaw “zakat” collections and broader extortion in Lower Shabelle and Banadir, affecting businesses and civilians.
- Objective: Disrupt the militant group’s financing and reduce pressure on communities subjected to forced levies.
NISA portrayed the operation as part of an ongoing campaign to curb the group’s ability to extract money from the public and to strengthen security for communities across the south. Additional measures targeting the group’s financial and logistical networks are expected to remain a priority as authorities seek to blunt both its military and economic influence.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
