Mandera bus attack mastermind arrested

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 19- The Kenya Defence Forces has captured the mastermind of the 21, December 2015 Mandera Bus terrorist attack that left 12 people dead.

This is according to Strategic Intelligence, a new website publishing intelligence reports, intelligence and crime reports analysis.

David Goldman, the Director of Counter Terrorism, National Security, and Intelligence Analysis at Strategic Intelligence says Abdullahi Dimbil was arrested in Southern Somalia, in a joint KDF-Jubaland Security forces operation.

Dimbil is said to be a senior Al-Shabaab revenue officer, and hails from Kotulo area in Wajir County.

He planned the attack alongside three other terror suspects still on the run.

“The capture of Dimbil is a significant win against terrorism, particularly financing and planning,” Goldman said.

“Abdullahi Dimbil held revenue for the terror group estimated to be hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Further, he said the nabbed terrorist “was also responsible for disbursement of payments to fighters in the particular AOR. He was also responsible of funding cross-border terror attacks.”

Back in 2016 the National police service had placed a 2 million shillings bounty on him alongside three others.

Before joining the Al-Shabaab, Dimbil now 36 years old was a Madrassa teacher in Kutulo.

His accomplices at the time were also said to be part of cell that recruited children into the terror organization.

At the time, the terror suspects were revealed to be working closely with Al-Shabaab head operatives including:Mohamud Ali alias Gamedhere, (K.I.A) Abdikarim Osman Jalaow alias Mustafa Ato, and Mohamed Abdi Musa alias Habil Al-Somali.