| Mansour Nasser al Bihani | |
|---|---|
| Arrested | Saudi Arabia |
| Died | 2011 Somalia |
| Citizenship | Yemen |
| Detained at | Yemen |
| Other name(s) | Abu 'Asim al Tabuki |
Mansour Nasser al Bihani is a citizen of Yemen who is reported to have died fighting in Somalia in 2011. He is reported to have been "killed in a clash with American forces off the coast of Somalia." A martyrdom statement was published on November 26, 2011.
He is reported to have emigrated to Afghanistan, with Abdul Aziz bin Attash, and his family, who, like al Bihani, was a Yemeni who also had brothers who were Guantanamo captives. He is reported to have fought in Chechnya under Ibn Al Khattab, until he was wounded and returned to Afghanistan. He is reported to have been captured in Saudi Arabia, and transferred to the custody of Yemen. He is reported to have been one of the 23 militants who succeeded in escaping from Yemeni custody in 2006. He is reported to have finally travelled to Somalia, where he died fighting for jihadists.
His two brothers in Guantanamo were Tolfiq Nassar Ahmed Al Bihani and Ghaleb Nassar Al Bihani. A third brother, Zakariya Nasir Awadh al-Bayhani, escaped with him. According to a 2007 report from the Jamestown Foundation both Mansur and Zakariya surrendered to Yemeni authorities later in 2006.
According to Thomas Josceylyn, writing in The Long War Journal, he is reported to have trained fighters of al Shabaab a militant jihadist group allied with al Qaeda. Josceylyn wrote those he trained included Omar Hammami, "an American who serves as a Shabaab commander, propagandist, and recruiter."
References
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Bill Roggio (2011-12-10). "Jihadist releases bio of Yemeni al Qaeda operative killed in Somalia". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-08-26. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
The statement announcing the death of Abu 'Asim al Tabuki Mansour Nasser al Bihani was written by Abu Ibrahim al Muhajir and released on Shumukh al Islam, a jihadist forum closely linked to al Qaeda, on Nov. 26.
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Thomas Joscelyn (2011-12-30). "Son of infamous al Qaeda family killed by Ethiopian forces". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-08-26. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
Al Bihani traveled to Somalia to fight alongside Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in the Horn of Africa. Once in Somalia, al Bihani trained Shabaab's fighters, including Omar Hammami, an American who serves as a Shabaab commander, propagandist, and recruiter. Al Bihani was subsequently killed in a clash with American forces off the coast of Somalia.
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Gregory D. Johnsen (2007-10-24). "Tracking Yemen's 23 Escaped Jihadi Operatives – Part 2". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 2010-03-16. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
Zakariya Nasir Awadh al-Bayhani (b. circa 1977): Like his brother Mansur, Zakariya was born in the northern Saudi city of Tabuk to Yemeni parents. Both his older and younger brothers, Tawfiq and Ghalib, are currently in U.S. custody in Guantanamo. Following his return to Saudi Arabia from Afghanistan, he was arrested and subsequently extradited to Yemen. In Yemen, he remained in prison although no charges were ever brought against him. Along with his brother Mansur, he turned himself in to Yemeni authorities in late 2006. Both were later released in accordance with a security guarantee.