Top al-Shabaab militant 'gives himself up' near Kenyan border

One of the most wanted members of the Somali terror group, al-Shabaab, has reportedly given himself up after his house was raided near the Kenyan border.

Zakariya Ahmed Ismail Hersi was a key part of the Islamist organisation's intelligence wing and once had a $3m (£1.93m) bounty for his capture through the US State Department's Rewards for Justice program.

The news was confirmed by an anonymous Somali intelligence official on Saturday.

According to the BBC, Hersi's house was stormed in the town of El Wag, near the Kenyan border, where he had been hiding for six days.

Hersi did have a loaded pistol in his hands, but he surrendered once he realised he was surrounded.

It is unknown whether the huge financial reward had been paid out, with rumour circulating that Hersi might have decided to surrender after falling out with several other senior militants.

A split in the group's leadership had allegedly emerged after the group's leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, was assassinated in a US air strike three months ago.

Under Godane's leadership, the Islamist group, also known as Harakat Shabaab al-Mujahidin, pledged their allegiance to Al Qaeda.

Godane was succeeded by Ahmad Umar, also known as Abu Ubaidah, in September 2014.

Al-Shabaab has yet to release an official statement regarding the capture of Hersi.

Back in September Hassan Mohamud, the Somali president, urged members of al-Shabaab to lay down their arms.

President Mohamud promised a 45-day amnesty for any fighter who gave up their campaign of terror.

Despite the offer, al-Shabaab remain a strong terrorist organisation, launching a deadly raid on a African Union base in Mogadishu on Christmas Day.

The attack killed nine people, including three African Union soldiers, who were celebrating Christmas.