Somalia’s government warned on Saturday of a wave of retaliatory attacks by the country’s Al-Qaeda- linked Shebab rebels after their leader was confirmed to have been killed in a US air strike.
The Horn of Africa nation’s president also offered Shebab fighters the chance to lay down their arms and seize on a 45-day amnesty, telling them government troops and the African Union’s AMISOM force was on the brink of overrunning their territory.
On Friday the Pentagon confirmed Ahmed Abdi Godane, the leader of Al-Qaeda’s main affiliate in Africa, perished in an attack on Monday in which US drones and manned aircraft rained Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs on a gathering of Shebab commanders.
There was no comment from the Shebab, who throughout the week have refused to confirm or deny reports of Godance’s death. Somalia’s national security minister said he believed they were now bent on revenge.
‘Security agencies have obtained information indicating that Al-Shebab is now planning to carry out desperate attacks against medical facilities, education centres and other government facilities,’ Kalif Ahmed Ereg told reporters on Saturday.
The Horn of Africa nation’s president also offered Shebab fighters the chance to lay down their arms and seize on a 45-day amnesty, telling them government troops and the African Union’s AMISOM force was on the brink of overrunning their territory.
On Friday the Pentagon confirmed Ahmed Abdi Godane, the leader of Al-Qaeda’s main affiliate in Africa, perished in an attack on Monday in which US drones and manned aircraft rained Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs on a gathering of Shebab commanders.
There was no comment from the Shebab, who throughout the week have refused to confirm or deny reports of Godance’s death. Somalia’s national security minister said he believed they were now bent on revenge.
‘Security agencies have obtained information indicating that Al-Shebab is now planning to carry out desperate attacks against medical facilities, education centres and other government facilities,’ Kalif Ahmed Ereg told reporters on Saturday.