Al-Shabaab's leader Ahmed Dirie (Abu Ubaidah) has passed away in Jilib town of southern Somalia. Ismail Sheikh Isack, the commander of 43rd battalion of Somali national Army (SNA) who spoke to Somali military owned radio said Ahmed Dirie died on Monday due to a kidney-related illness. The commander stated that the Al-Shabaab leader passed away in the southern areas under Al-Shabaab control on Monday 25 June.

Ahmed Dirie assumed the Al-Shabaab leadership after the death of his predecessor Ahmed Godane, who was killed in a U.S. air raid on December 2014.

The U.S. has put $6 million bounty on Ahmed Diriye’s head.

The Al-Shabaab movement has, however, strongly denied the death of  their leader saying he was "alive, well and busy performing his obligations”.

The Federal Government is yet to comment on the latest development.