American Jihadi Killed: Omar Hammami Dies After Being Attacked In Somalia

Omar Hammami, known as Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki or "the American," an Alabama man who joined the militant group al-Shabab has been killed in Somalia. The American made a name for himself starting in 2006 when he joined the group and kept an active Twitter account about his beliefs and experiences, along with uploading rap videos to YouTube with titles such as "Send Me a Cruise (Missile)" and "Make Jihad With Me." It was reported sometime last year that Hammami had an argument with al-Shabab leader Mukhtar Abu Zubey, and was reported dead several times over the years, but the claims proved to be unfounded.

Reports of his death came Thursday after an alleged abush attack by rivals in the group. Rebels were unable to provide immediate evidence of his death. Terrorist expert J.M. Berger told the Associated Press that while false claims have been made in the past about Hammami's so-called death, he believes this one to be true. Hammami was a strong presence for the al-Qaida-linked group, but recent events may spurn others looking to join the group or travel to Somalia.

Abdirizak Bihi, an advocate for the Somali community, told reporters that Hammami's death would hurt recruitment efforts for al-Shabab. "We always knew the Somalis inside Somalia knew that al-Shabab was bad," Bihi said. "We were concerned about the Somalis in the diaspora ... who never really knew the facts on the ground and were always manipulated and misled." He was indicted on terrorism counts in Southern Alabama in 2007, and an indictment was returned for him in 2009 for leaving the U.S. to join the militant group. He was placed on the FBI's most-wanted list and his capture was to be rewarded with $5 million.

Hammami, 29, was an Arabic speaker who had a handful of close calls while fighting alongside members of al-Shabab. The first attack on his life was documented on Twitter in April. Abu Zubey ordered an attack on Hammami's closest associates, which resulted in an injury to his neck. "Just been shot in neck by shabab assassin. not critical yet," Hammami tweeted after the attack. Berger said that Hammami was a major dissenting voice in al-Shabab, which sparked the fury of the leader. He described the American as "a thorn in the side of al-Shabab" for more than two years and "one of the few surviving dissenters after Godane's bloody purge over the summer."