Mogadishu (HAN) September 6, 2014 – Defense and National security news. The AFROCOM Airforce assasination of Harakat Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen leader of Somalia Ahmed Abdi Godane (Abu-zubair) by the United States on September 1st is unlikely to leave a vacancy for long. The Pentagon announced on 2 September that US Special Forces, ‘acting on actionable intelligence’, tried to kill the Al-Shabaab leader using manned and unmanned aircraft to launch Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs. The target was a camp and vehicles near Barawe, in south-central Somalia. On 5 September the Pentagon provided confirmation that Godane had died in the strike.
In a Somali national televised speech Friday night, Gen. Khalif Ahmed Ereg, Somalia’s national security minister, said targets including medical and educational institutions could be targeted. Ereg says the government is vigilant and prepared its armed forces to prevent such attacks.
Gen. Khalif Ahmed Ereg described the killing of Godane as “delightful victory.” Gen. Ereg called on Al-Shabaab militants still fighting for the Al-Qaeda linked group to surrender to get a “brighter” livelihood from the government.
Somalia’s government has credible intelligence that Islamic militants are planning attacks following the death of their leader in a U.S. air strike Monday, a top official said.
President Barrack Obama and Somali federal government both confirmed Friday that the leader of Al-Shabaab, Ahmed Abdi Godane (Abu-zubair), was killed by the U.S. airstrike
“The Somali people and federal government institution thanks the US AFRICOM and special units within the Somali security forces who helped the operation,” said a statement from the office of Somalia’s internationally-backed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
“After intelligence cooperation between the Somali security forces and AFRICOM this week, the American air forces targeted a convoy transporting the Al-Shebab terrorist group leader Ahmed Abdi Godane and some of his security forces known as AMNIYAT,” the presidential statement said.
“As a Somali authority, We are confirming that no one in that convoy survived the Air force attack.”
The Somali president called on Al-Shabaab militants to lay down their suicidal arms, offering a 45-day amnesty.
“One of the main pillars of the Somali war obistical has gone, so there is no reason for Somalia’s youth to continue with a war when its day are numbered,” the statement said.
The Somali president said the government “is willing to offer amnesty to Al-Shabaab members who reject violence and renounce their links to Al-Shebab and Al-Qaeda – but for the next 45 days only.”
“While an extreme hardcore may fight over the new un-worthy leadership of Al-Shabaab, this is a chance for the majority of Al-Shabaab members to change course and reject Godane’s decision to make them the pawns of an international terror campaign,” the president said.
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