This is a case of falling out with one’s own Islamo-terror pals and to save his own skin, turned himself over to the police.
Al Shabab leader surrenders in Somalia
Updated: December 28, 2014 08:27 AM
NAIROBI // A leader with the Islamist extremist group Al Shabab, who had a US$3 million (Dh11m) bounty on his head, has surrendered in Somalia.
Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi surrendered to police in the country’s Gedo region, where Somalia borders Kenya and Ethiopia, a Somali intelligence officer said on Saturday.
Military official Mohamed Osmail said Hersi was hiding in a house in a border town, and made contact with government officials in order to hand himself in.
Hersi may have surrendered because he fell out with those loyal to Ahmed Abdi Godane, Al Shabab’s former top leader who was killed in a US air strike earlier this year, the intelligence officer added.
In 2012, the Obama administration offered a total $33m in rewards for information leading to the capture of Hersi and eight other Al Shabab leaders.
The Somali military said Hersi was in charge of intelligence and finances for the extremist group.