American Jihadist Omar Hammami Likely Killed in Somalia, Father Reacts
An American-born jihadist fighting for an al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia
has allegedly been killed by the terror group, months after a public
spat between the Alabama-raised man and the group's leadership.
Omar Hammami, known in the terrorist organization of al-Shabaab as Abu Mansoor al-Amriki and featured in a recent ABC News report,
was gunned down in an al-Shabaab ambush in Somalia's southern Bay
region, according to another member of the terror group cited in a
report by The Associated Press. Agence France Presse reported similar
circumstances for Hammami's alleged death, based on sources in the
region.
Hammami has been reported dead several times before,
but an African diplomat in the region and an American terrorism expert
who has been in contact with Hammami told ABC News the reports are very
likely true this time. An FBI official said so far the information is
unconfirmed and one senior U.S. official said the American intelligence
community is "cautiously optimistic" the reports are accurate.
Hammami is one of the highest-profile members of al-Shabaab and one of
the most prominent accused American terrorists, with a $5 million reward
from the State Department for information leading to his capture.
Hammami's father, Shafik, said today that he had been told of the reports but had no way to know if his son was actually dead.
"Of course I hope not, I hope it's not true," Shafik Hammami told ABC
News in a telephone interview from his Alabama home. "Our lives have
been on a roller coaster for a long time, and we've been there before...
we just hope that it's not true this time."
If the reports are accurate, however, Shafik said his son died "fighting for his principles."
"He did what he wanted to do and he fulfilled his principles," Shafik
said. "If he indeed died, he died fighting for his principles, whatever
they are."
Hammami was sometimes referred to as the rapping jihadist after he produced several videos of him rhyming about waging war on the West and the glory of martyrdom.
Hammami's mother, Debra, told ABC News last May that she didn't "agree with the ideology of any of that."
"But I do love my son and I do have motherly love," she said then. "If I could just touch him for five minutes, I would be thrilled."
Earlier this month Hammami reportedly renounced his membership in
al-Shabaab and his ties to al Qaeda in an interview with Voice of
America's Somalia Service.
"I'm openly not from Shabaab, I'm openly not from al Qaeda, but I'm definitely a terrorist," Hammami said, according to VOA's English-language website. VOA reported Hammami said he was in hiding from the al-Shabaab leadership, which was trying to kill him.
Hammami, who was active on Twitter, suddenly disappeared from the social
networking site months ago, following what he said then were al-Shabaab
assassination attempts. Hammami and the local al-Shabaab leadership had
an oddly public falling out, culminating in Hammami posting videos
online in which he said he feared for his life.
When he stopped tweeting, many observers speculated Hammami had been
killed then, but American intelligence officials told ABC News in
mid-August that Hammami was still alive.
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