Poet Nageye Ali Khaliif, an influential Al-Shabaab fighter, denied rumors of his death during heavy fighting in the Middle Shabelle region.
His denial came hours after regional officials said dozens of militants, including the poet, were killed in Al Kowthar town.
They added, “Nageye met his end while engaging with Somali National Army forces in the battle.”
Shocking news followed when Nageye returned from the dead, using his Facebook to deny the death rumors.
He warned that such rumors could harm the government, urging national TV to gather accurate information.
Nageye, once a Somali National University lecturer from Somaliland, left Mogadishu last year and joined Al-Shabaab.
He stated he joined the militant group to fight what he called foreign occupation in Somalia.
On Tuesday, the Somali government reported 48 militants, including leaders, were killed in airstrikes in Hiran and Middle Shabelle.
The first strike killed 17 Al-Shabaab members in Daru Nicma, while a second strike in Al Kowthar killed 19 militants.
A third strike reportedly killed 12 more in the Beera Yabaal area of the Hiran region.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida-linked group, claimed to have killed 51 soldiers in a dawn attack near Bulo-buurde.
The group also claimed to have seized bases and military supplies in Aborey, near Bulo-Burde, Hiran
Driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, Al-Shabaab continues to carry out deadly attacks.
For over a decade, the group has been battling to impose a hardline interpretation of Sharia law in Somalia.
Al-Shabaab still controls large swaths of southern and central Somalia.
