US: Somalia operation to capture Ikrima under legal authorities

The US said Monday a military operation last Friday in Somalia to capture Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, known as "Ikrima," was under legal authorities granted to Pentagon to use military force against Al-Qaeda and its associated forces. The operation is under "legal authorities granted to the Department of Defense by the Authorization to Use Military Force (2001) against Al-Qaeda and its associated forces," the Pentagon said. Press Secretary George Little said in a statement that Ikrima, a Kenyan of Somali origin, "is a top commander in the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate." He is also "closely associated with now-deceased Al-Qaeda operatives Harun Fazul and Saleh Nabhan, who played roles in the 1998 bombing of the United States embassy in Nairobi, Kenya and in the 2002 attacks on a hotel and airline in Mombassa, Kenya. "While the operation did not result in Ikrima's capture, US military personnel conducted the operation with unparalleled precision and demonstrated that the United States can put direct pressure on al-Shabaab leadership at any time of our choosing," he stressed. "Working in partnership with the government of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the United States military will continue to confront the threat posed by Al-Shabaab," he added. He affirmed that "the United States military has unmatched capabilities and could rely on any of them to disrupt terrorist networks and plots"