Al Shabab leader renounces violence, quits Al Qaeda-linked terror outfit

The leader of the Somalia-based Islamist militant group, Al Shabaab, who carries a three million dollar bounty on his head, has reportedly quit the terror outfit and renounced violence perpetrated by the Al Qaeda-linked organization.

Zakariya Ismail Hersi, who acted as Al Shabaab's intelligence chief, called for "reconciliation" while speaking to the media for the first time since he surrendered to Somalia authorities in December, reported the BBC.

Hersi said that he was no longer a member of Al Shabab and renounced violence as a means of resolving conflict. He added that he now aimed to achieve his goals using peaceful means and through "reconciliation and understanding."

Experts said that Hersi's decision was prompted by his fear for his life because of friction with colleagues loyal to Ahmed Godane, the Al Shabab leader who was killed in a U.S. air strike last year.

Hersi is one of the seven top Al Shabab leaders targeted by the Obama administration in 2012. The U.S. has announced rewards totaling nearly 33 million dollars for information leading to their capture.