Somalia confirms killing of al-Shabaab commander

The Somali government on Monday confirmed the killing of a commander of the Al-Qaida linked group Al-Shabaab in an overnight air strike in the south of the Horn of Africa nation. Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed confirmed the killing of Ahmed Abdelkadir Amu Iskudhuuq, saying in a tweet post that the attack will prevent jihadists from making Somalia a safe heaven. "Air strike in Lower Shabelle kills senior Shabaab official. No hiding place for Al-Shabaab in Somalia," Radio Mogadishu reported. The strike also killed Iskudhuuq's two bodyguards as they were moving from Bay region to Lower Shabelle in southern Somalia. A drone allegedly carried out the attack in an area controlled by the militant group against Somali government forces and African Union peacekeeping troops. Iskudhuuq was the chief of Amniyad, a unit responsible for military intelligence and assassinations in Al-Shabaab. The Somali Presidency said in a twitter post that the air strike represents "another below for Al-Shabaab," adding that the government was "working with our partners to eliminate them from Somalia." U. S. military drones had previously launched similar attacks on Al-Shabaab leaders in Somalia.