Image of a Shabaab fighter from the terror group's website.

The disturbing trend of US citizens being killed while fighting for al Qaeda-linked Shabaab in Somalia continues. From The Media Line, the fifth US citizen was killed during fighting in Mogadishu over the weekend:

Al Shabaab fighters said Mohamed Hassan, a 21-year old American from Minnesota, was among the dead. At the time of printing it was not clear when Mr Hassan had arrived in Somalia.

...

U.S. officials believe that dozens of Americans have entered Somalia to join Al Shabaab's ranks. At least three Americans have been killed fighting for Al Shabaab, including a Somali-American who killed himself in a suicide attack last year.

"They are recruiting youth not only from America but also from Europe," Goth said. "They want to send a message that we can recruit your people and we can harm you." "This is a very dangerous development," he warned. "A suicide bomber can get anywhere, and these people could come back at any time and cause lots of damage."

Contemporary reports put the number of Americans recruited to fight with Shabaab in Somalia in the dozens, but my sources say more than 50 Americans have been recruited and trained. A handful are thought to have returned to the US.