Drone attack kills al-Shabaab leader in southern Somalia

A leader of an al-Qaida-affiliated terror group in Somalia was killed during a U.S. airstrike in the southern part of the country, SomaliCurrent.com reported. Sources within al-Shabaab told SomaliCurrent.com Ahmed Abdulkadir Abdullahi and his driver were killed in the airstrike Sunday. Somali Current said Ahmed was with a three-vehicle convoy traveling between Sablale and Far-jano areas in Lower Shabelle. The airstrike hit only his car. Ahmed is a member of al-Shabaab's intelligence unit that is responsible for conducting assassinations, RBC Radio reported. Local sources said senior al-Shabaab commanders in southern Somalia were to meet in Barawe to design new tactics against Somali government forces and African Union peacekeepers in Somalia, RBC Radio said. RBC Radio also said the Somali government was expected to begin a military assault on al-Shabaab strongholds soon.