▁Moh ammed ▁Sal ah ▁al - D in ▁Za idan . ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁around ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁( The ▁F BI ▁claims ▁ 1 1 ▁April ). ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁Military ▁around ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁Colonel ▁in ▁the ▁Special ▁Forces ▁as ▁an ▁Ex pl os ives ▁expert , ▁possibly ▁being ▁trained ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁He ▁fled ▁Egypt ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁reported ly ▁made ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁Afghan istan , ▁joining ▁the ▁relatively ▁small ▁but ▁well ▁fund ed ▁( and ▁mainly ▁Egypt ian ▁and ▁Sa udi ) ▁Mak tab ▁al - K h id am at , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁for er un ner ▁to ▁al - Q a eda . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁tra iner ▁in ▁Ex pl os ives ▁to ▁new ▁rec ruits , ▁and ▁would ▁stay ▁in ▁Afghan istan ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁to ▁train ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁Tal ib an . ▁The ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Som ali ▁milit ant ▁Islam ist ▁group ▁al - Sh aba ab , ▁M ok tar ▁Ali ▁Z ub ey r , ▁has ▁said ▁that ▁Sa if ▁al - Ad el ▁and ▁Y use f ▁al - A yer i ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁Battle ▁of ▁M og ad ish u ▁by ▁providing ▁training ▁and ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁battle ▁directly . ▁Adel ▁would ▁later ▁join ▁Bin ▁L aden ▁in ▁Sud an ▁after ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁ ▁Milit