Al-Shabaab Linked to Somali-American's Death

(Minneapolis, Minnesota) Burhan Hassan, a 17-year-old Somali-American teen recruited by al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab to fight in Somalia, was allegedly assassinated in Mogadishu Friday by members of al-Shabaab. Hassan was a student at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis before going to Somalia.

According to Burhan Hassan's uncle, Osman Ahmed,

"Someone who claimed (to be) a member of al-Shabaab called Burhan's mom Friday (afternoon) and said Burhan died Friday morning," Ahmed said. "Burhan's mom got shocked and (threw) the phone when she heard the story." [...]

Ahmed said Hassan was killed by members of al-Shabaab. A leader in the Minneapolis Somali community said later that al-Shabaab members originally from the Minneapolis area were likely responsible for Hassan's death.

"Al-Shabaab assassinated Burhan and shot (him in) the head," Ahmed said. In fact, Hassan was shot "point blank," according to Omar Jamal, the executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

Reportedly, Hassan had been sick from malaria and had made plans to return to the U.S. Al-Shabaab leaders felt threatened that he was leaving and decided to kill him, according to Jamal.

Jamal's contention, however, appears to be inconsistent with the fact that other men have traveled to Somalia and returned without incident.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.