Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency says a former head of Al-Shabaab’s finances was killed in an operation in Kuunyo Barrow, Lower Shabelle, carried out with support from international partners.
In a statement issued on 28 October, NISA identified him as Faysal Yusuf Macallin Abdulle, also known as Abdikarim Horseed or Gaagaale. The agency said the operation took place on 23 October, five days before its announcement, and that he had remained close to the group’s senior leadership after leaving its top finance position.
NISA said Somali intelligence personnel carried out the operation with international partners. The reported death has not been independently verified.
Agency outlines financial role
NISA’s account places Faysal’s involvement with Al-Shabaab in 2007, when it says he was working at a shop in Mogadishu’s Bakara market. The agency accused him of using that work as cover while joining the group and later overseeing collections from residents and businesses in Banadir.
According to the agency, he managed the group’s Banadir finance office between 2007 and 2011, then served as its chief accountant until 2014. It said he became the overall finance chief that year and held the position until 2024.
NISA said he subsequently handed responsibility to Abdullahi Hassan Abdi Qosoble, known as Abdullahi Wadaad. The agency said Wadaad was killed in a separate operation in Kuunyo Barrow on 23 January 2026. These descriptions of both men’s roles and the earlier operation form part of the agency’s account.
Al-Shabaab finances its insurgency through compulsory payments imposed on businesses, transport operators and communities. A UN sanctions monitoring report issued in 2025 cited member-state estimates of annual revenue ranging from $100 million to $200 million. That estimate predates this operation and describes the scale of the network NISA is targeting.
NISA said it would continue operations against the group’s financial leadership. If confirmed, the loss of a former finance chief with years of experience managing collections and accounts would deprive Al-Shabaab of a senior figure familiar with the system that funds its fighters and operations.
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