US announces $5mln bounties on two American terrorists linked to al Qaeda

Washington, Mar. 21 : The US has announced a multimillion bounty on two Americans having ties with an al Qaeda group in Somalia.

The State Department has announced a five million dollars reward each for information on Omar Hammami and Jehad Mostafa, CNN reported.

According to the New York Post, the report said the State Department has put out posters and matchbooks in both Somali and English announcing the reward for the men, both of whom are on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists List.

Hammami and Mostafa are members of Al-Shabaab, the terror group linked to al Qaeda, and 'have made significant contributions to this terrorist organization's media and military activities,' the report said.

The State Department said they are both believed to be in Somalia and speak English, Arabic and Somali.

According to the report, CNN reported that a senior FBI official said the US believes both men 'had a persistent interest in targeting US interests' and are 'believed to be involved in planning attacks on US persons or property'.

Hammami, 29 and a native of Alabama, was indicted in an Alabama court in 2009 on charges of supporting a terrorist group, three years after he moved to Somalia, CNN reported.

Mostafa, who is either 27 or 32, went to Somalia in 2005 and served as a media expert and recruiter for the Somali-based terror group.

CNN reported that Hillary Clinton approved the bounties before resigning her position as secretary of state.