Ahmad Umar, also known as Abu Ubaidah, has been the Emir of Al-Shabaab since 2014, after US airstrikes killed the previous Emir (Ahmed Abdi Godane). When Umar became advisor to Godane in 2013, he purged Al-Shabaab of its foreign fighters, and oversaw all the domestic policies of the group. Umar adheres to takfiri ideology and strives to fulfil Godane’s vision for Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab still carries out terrorist attacks in Mogadishu, Somalia, despite the presence of thousands of Somali government and African Union troops. They have targeted hotels and resorts as well as Ugandan and Kenyan troops.