Fazul believed to have taken over al-Shabaab reins

The man who masterminded the 1998 terrorist attacks on US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam is believed to have taken over the leadership of al-Shabaab in war-torn Somalia, Kenyan counter-terrorism officials say.

Ahmed Al Fazul (below) took charge of the ragtag army after the dramatic killing of Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, who previously led the group that has been a constant headache to Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government and US anti-terror campaign.

Counter-terrorism officials in Nairobi, who cannot be revealed without compromising their operations, say Fazul is believed to have lately left Tanzania for Somalia to head al-Shabaab. The heavily armed group, which has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda, wants to topple Somalia’s UN-backed government and impose its own strict version of Sharia law.

It controls much of the south and parts of Mogadishu, and courts run by its leadership have ordered executions, floggings and amputations.

Interviews with the officials in Nairobi revealed that al-Shabaab’s top command has at times been divided and it is believed these divisions produced the informants who betrayed Nabhan’s position last year.

Israeli jetliner

Fazul is one of the world’s most wanted terrorists for his role in the attacks on the United States embassies, and subsequent ones in 2002 targeting an Israeli jetliner and the Paradise Hotel in Kikambala.

The plane was unharmed, but 15 people died in the Paradise Hotel bombing.

Fazul was indicted in the Southern District of New York for his alleged involvement in the bombings of the US embassies.

He is also the most wanted man on the Kenya Police website.

The Rewards For Justice Program of the United States Department of State is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to the apprehension or conviction of Fazul.