Saleh al-Somali
| Saleh al-Somali | |
|---|---|
| Died |
December 8, 2009 Pakistan |
| Nationality | Somali |
| Occupation | Alleged al Qaida operational planner |
| Known for | Killed by a missile strike |
Saleh al-Somali, born Abdirizaq Abdi Saleh,[1] is described as being an al Qaeda leader.[1][2][3][4] He was killed by a missile fired from an unmanned predator drone on December 8, 2009. The missile strike was on a suspect compound in Janikhel village near Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Initially the identity of the senior al Qaida leader reported killed was not made public.[2] But on December 11, 2009 ABC News quoted a US security official who said: "There are strong indications that senior al Qaeda operations planner Saleh al-Somali has died."
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Source: Senior al-Qaida leader killed by drone: Militant was head of external operations, official tells NBC News". MSNBC. 2006-09-25. Archived from the original on 2010-03-07.
Abdirizaq Abdi Saleh, better known by his nom de guerre Saleh al-Somali, was a member of al-Qaida's senior leadership, said the official, and "probably responsible" for planning and executing attacks in the U.S. and Europe.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Luis Martinez, Martha Raddatz (2009-12-11). "Al Qaeda Operations Planner Saleh Al-Somali Believed Dead in Drone Strike: Believed Killed Tuesday Along Lawless Tribal Areas of Western Pakistan". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2010-03-07.
The senior al Qaeda operative killed in a drone strike in Pakistan earlier this week was Saleh al-Somali, a major operations planner for the terrorist group, ABC News has learned.
- ↑ Matt Apuzzo (2010-02-12). "Evolving US strategy widens assault on terrorists". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2010-03-07.
Senior al-Qaida operatives Saleh al-Somali and Abdallah Sa'id were killed in airstrikes in December.
- ↑ David Ignatius (2010-02-17). "What the partisan squabbles miss on Obama's terror response". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2010-03-07.
These raids have ravaged the top tier of al-Qaeda's lieutenants. The victims include Saleh al-Somali, the chief of external operations, who was killed Dec. 8; Abdullah Said al-Libi, the chief of operations in Pakistan, who was killed Dec. 17; and Tahir Yuldashev, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, who was killed in August.