U.S. drone strikes in Somalia may have killed top al-Shabaab leader

The U.S. military has said it carried out an operation against al-Shabaab militants in Somalia as reports emerged of a drone strike against the group’s leaders. A Somali governor said an air strike targeted al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, also known as Abu Zubayr, as he left a meeting of the group’s top leaders. He added there were “casualties”—and some reports suggest six militants were killed. But it was not clear if Godane or any other senior figure was among that number. However, an unnamed Somali intelligence official told The Associated Press that intelligence indicated Godane “might have been killed”.

The Americans carried out a major air strike targeting a gathering by senior al-Shabaab officials, including their leader Abu Zubayr.

Abdukadir Mohamed Nur, governor for southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region

The 37-year-old militant was reportedly trained by the Taliban in Afghanistan and took over the leadership of al-Shabaab in 2008, after Adan Hashi Ayro was killed in a U.S. missile attack. The U.S. announced a $7 million reward for information on his whereabouts in 2012. Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby confirmed an operation had been carried out. Al-Shabaab is an al-Qaida-affiliated Islamist group that wants to impose its own strict version of Sharia in Somalia and has also carried out attacks in Kenya and Uganda.

U.S. military forces conducted an operation in Somalia against the al-Shabaab network. We are assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information as and when appropriate.

Rear Adm. John Kirby, Pentagon spokesman

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