Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir (born 1979 or 1985 [1]), better known as Ikrima, is a terrorist described as one of the most dangerous commanders of the Somali terror organisation Al-Shabaab. [2] [3] He has reportedly been central in the planning of several terror attacks, and responsible for forging links between Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). [4] He is of Somali ethnicity.
Activities
Born in Somalia or Kenya, Ikrima is thought to have been associated with the planners of the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Kenya, and of involvement with the 2002 Mombasa attacks. [4] He lived in Norway as an asylum seeker from 2004 to 2008 in the town of Moelv, where he received Norwegian travel documents. [2] [4] [5] He thereafter lived in the United Kingdom for about a year. [6] He is reported to speak several languages, including English, Somali, Swahili, French, Norwegian and some Arabic. [4]
He has allegedly been involved in several terror plots in Kenya, including a plot targeting the Mandera Airport in April 2013, a 2011 plot of training youth to become terrorists, and Al-Qaeda-sanctioned plots of attacks in 2011 and 2012 against the Kenyan parliament, United Nations offices in Nairobi and Kenyan politicians. [2] It has been speculated that he may have been involved in the planning of the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack, notably as one of the perpetrators, Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow was a Norwegian citizen of Somali origin. [2] [4]
Ikrima was the target of the unsuccessful October 2013 Barawe raid by US Navy SEALs in the town of Barawa in Somalia. [2] In 2014 the United States Department of State offered a reward of up to 3 million US dollars for information leading to his arrest. [7] [8]
References
- ^ "Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir". Rewards for Justice. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Cruickshank, Paul; Lister, Tim (7 October 2013). "U.S. target in Somalia: An inside story on an Al-Shabaab commander". CNN. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ Rajghatta, Chidanand (8 October 2013). "Ahmed Godane and Ikrimah al-Muhajir new toppers in terrorist hall of fame". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "The terrorist who got away: Why SEAL Team 6 was sent to snatch Ikrima from Somalia". NBC News. 17 November 2013.
- ^ "Naboer i sjokk over terrorbekjent". TV 2 (in Norwegian). 9 October 2013.
- ^ "Al-Shabaab leader Ikrima 'lived in UK for a year'". The Telegraph. 25 October 2013.
- ^ "Rewards for Justice - Reward Offers for Information on al-Shabaab Members: Ikrima, Jafar, and Yasin Kilwe". US Department of State. 14 March 2014.
- ^ "USA utlover 18 millioner i dusør for "norsksomalier"". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 26 March 2014.
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