Somalia: 4-years since Al-Shabaab leader killed in US strike

[Deeq A.]

MOGADISHU (Caasimada Online) – Four years after Somalia’s Al Shabaab leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, known as Abu Zubeyr was killed in airstrike carried out by US in southwest of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu.

The group’s leader, Abu Zubeyr, and his driver died on 1^st  December, 2014, when a vehicle they were travelling in hit by drone strike in Barawe town, some 220km (120 miles) South of Somali capital Mogadishu.

Zubeyr’s death was confirmed by Al Shabaab.

Godane, who received training and fought in Afghanistan, was designated as terrorist by the United States.

The death of Godane, who only succeeded in consolidating his control of the group by killing or driving out his major critics and potential rivals, have led Al Shabab to split into different factions.

Al-Shabab announced Godane’s immediate successor, Ahmad Diriye, known as Abu Ubeida within a week of his death after meeting in Jilib town in south of Somalia.

Abu Ubeida reportedly played an instrumental leadership role in the purge of dissidents from the group in 2013.

Since his death, the group’s fighters rumpped up its deadly attacks on Somali army forces with African Union troops’ camps in south and central Somalia.

Last year, Abu Mansoor Mukhtar Robow, an elusive, charismatic militant who was once a senior commander of Al Shabaab in Somalia, surrendered to government forces  in a surprise move that could weaken the country’s Islamist militants.

Al-Shabab has been waging an insurgency in Somalia for more than 10 years.

A 22,000-strong African Union force is in the country to help the government fight the al-Qaeda-linked militants.

The group has been driven out of many urban areas since 2011, however it still controls territory in rural areas and carries out gun attacks and bombings on military and civilian targets.

Caasimada Online

Mogadishu News Desk

Caasimada@live.com