US State Department Offers Reward for Information on Key al-Shabaab Leaders

Al-Shabaab is an al-Qaeda affiliate based in Somalia. The group seeks to overthrow the Somali government and impose a strict version of Islam in the country. It has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Somalia and on border towns in Kenya.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US government will provide a reward of up to $6 million for information on the whereabouts of the al-Shabaab terrorist organization's leaders, the US State Department said in a press release on Tuesday.

“The US Department of State's Rewards for Justice program is offering rewards for information leading to the identification or location of six key leaders of the Somalia-based terrorist organization al-Shabaab,” the press release said.

The reward authorized for information leading to al-Shabaab leader Abu Ubaidah is up to $6 million. The reward for Mahad Karate, who played a key role in the April 2 terrorist attack on Garissa University College in Kenya, is $5 million.

The same amount of money is offered for information leading to Maalim Daud, responsible for training and operations against Western targets, and Hassan Afgooye, who oversees al-Shabaab's financial network.

Kerry also authorized a reward of up to $3 million each for information on Maalim Salman, the leader of al-Shabaab’s African foreign terrorist fighters, and Ahmed Iman Ali, who recruits Kenyan youth and raises funds for the terrorist group.