Mahad Karate: Commander behind Al-Shabaab’s Amniyat

Mahad Karate: Commander behind Al-Shabaab’s Amniyat

Executive Summary:

• Abdirahman Mohamed Warsame—better known as Mahad Karate—is one of al-Shabaab’s prominent leaders, serving as the deputy emir and commander of the intelligence branch, Amniyat.
• Designated a U.S. global terrorist with a $10 million bounty, he utilizes former state intelligence training to orchestrate suicide assaults and protect the group’s leadership.
• Karate recently resurfaced in October 2025 to praise an attack on Somali intelligence, highlighting his ongoing strategic influence over recruitment, propaganda, and operational cohesion.

Abdirahman Mohamed Warsame, known by his nom de guerre Mahad Karate, is one of al-Shabaab's prominent leaders and currently serves as deputy emir. He heads the group’s intelligence and security branch—Amniyat—which is responsible for operational planning, internal security, and the management of targeted attacks in both Somalia and neighboring countries, particularly Kenya (AllSanaag, November 14, 2022). [1] His influence within the group and leadership of Amniyat operations makes him a key figure in al-Shabaab’s command structure and internal dynamics.

Background and Early Career

Warsame was born between 1957 and 1962 in the Mudug administrative region, in the city of Xarardheere, and belongs to the Hawiye clan (Radio Risaala, November 14, 2022; Hiiran, April 2, 2025). Before joining the militant Islamist group al-Itihaad al-Islamiya in the 1990s, Mahad Karate reportedly served in the Somali National Security Service under the then-revolutionary regime of President Mohamed Siad Barre (Radio Risaala, November 14, 2022). This experience provided him with in-depth expertise in intelligence tactics and military operations, which he then applied and refined after joining al-Shabaab upon its formation.

Karate joined al-Shabaab in the period following the collapse of the Islamic Courts Union—most likely between 2007 and 2008—before quickly rising to the top of the group’s intelligence and security apparatus (Al-Kataib Media, June 16, 2017). In the following years, he gradually assumed increasingly significant operational responsibilities, consolidating his position within the hierarchy and gaining control over Amniyat operations. Between 2010 and 2015, he was involved in numerous al-Shabaab operations, primarily through his command of Amniyat. One of the most significant incidents was the 2015 attack on Garissa University College in Kenya, which centered on a suicide assault that killed over 140 people (The East African, April 2, 2015; UN Security Council, February 21, 2021).  

Designated Terrorist

On April 10, 2015, Karate was placed on the U.S. Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list, and the Rewards for Justice program is offering $10 million for information on his whereabouts (RFJ, November 14, 2022). In addition to Kenya, Karate has carried out numerous attacks and operations in Somalia. These have ranged from targeted executions of opponents and internal informants to the handling of suicide cells and coordinated attacks against civilian and military targets (AllSanaag, November 14, 2022).

Since 2021, Karate has maintained a central position as deputy emir of al-Shabaab, with a particular focus on protecting key al-Shabaab leaders and coordinating regional operations. His role, however, goes beyond operational supervision: he serves as a liaison point between the group’s political-military leadership and the dispersed cells on the ground. This allows him to shape al-Shabaab’s priorities, decide where to focus resources and what objectives to pursue, and ensure the command structure remains cohesive amid internal and external pressures.

Karate’s control over intelligence operations also allows al-Shabaab to maintain a resilient internal structure, even under pressure from airstrikes or targeted operations by foreign forces. Through this function, Karate ensures continuity of command and the group's ability to operate both locally and regionally.

Last Appearance

Karate’s most recent appearance was on October 7, 2025, when al-Kataib Media—the main media outlet of al-Shabaab—released an 8-minute audio recording of him (X/@G88Daniele, October 7, 2025). In the video, he discusses the massive October 4 attack in Mogadishu at the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) center (Dawan Africa, October 5, 2025). He praises the operation, which was called “Support for the Oppressed”, explaining that it targeted “intelligence leaders who were gathering to plan attacks and operations against residents of the capital.”

The speech included messages addressed to residents of Mogadishu, whom he called on to “collaborate with” al-Shabaab. He also appealed to young Somalis, whose “duty is to join the ranks” of a-Shabaab. At the end of his speech, he sent a message to those in government prisons, assuring them that al-Shabaab “is aware of their suffering and will not hesitate to try to free them” and promising to “continue operations until this is achieved” (Daniele Garofalo Monitoring, October 11, 2025).   

Conclusion

Karate represents one of the key elements of al-Shabaab’s military and intelligence infrastructure. His leadership of Amniyat gives him direct influence over the group’s most sensitive operations. The combination of experience, operational skills acquired over the years, and loyalty to the group’s leadership makes Karate difficult to replace.

From a regional security perspective, the threat posed by Karate is significant. His leadership ensures continuity in al-Shabaab’s operational strategy, especially in operations in Kenya and high-impact bombing campaigns in Somalia. [2] His intelligence experience enables him to orchestrate operations that combine infiltration, surveillance, and attack, increasing the group’s effectiveness and unpredictability.

Karate also remains central to the organization’s propaganda and recruitment, an often overlooked but essential facet of al-Shabaab’s operational regeneration capacity. Karate is a high-value target. His capture or elimination would significantly impact al-Shabaab's ability to coordinate complex operations, protect its leadership, and maintain internal cohesion.

Notes

[1] For more on Amniyat’s role within al-Shabaab, see: Sinkó, Gábor, and János Besenyő. 2024. “A Comprehensive Analysis of Al-Shabaab’s Secret Service, the Amniyat (Somalia).” South African Journal of International Affairs 31 (3): 337–52. doi:10.1080/10220461.2024.2438773; Kheyre, Zakarie Ahmed nor. 2022. “The Evolution of the Al-Shabaab Jihadist Intelligence Structure.” Intelligence and National Security 37 (7): 1061–82. doi:10.1080/02684527.2022.2095599; Sinkó, Gábor, and János Besenyő. "More than Survival: The Role of al-Shabaab Secret Service, Amniyat, in Information-Gathering." Connections (18121098) 22, no. 1 (2023) https://doi.org/10.11610/Connections.22.1.36.

[2] To learn more about al-Shabaab’s operational and military activity, threat assessments, and intelligence assessments, see: Daniele Garofalo Monitoring, Security: Risk Monitoring and Threat Assessment: al-Shabaab in Somalia”, November 2025.