MOGADISHU-–The Somali government confirmed Somali-based militant Al-Shabab’s intelligence chief was killed in a U.S. airstrike near the Southern town of Saakow.
A statement issued Tuesday by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Abdishakur Tahlil was killed along with two others in Monday’s strike. It says he was traveling between Saakow and the village of Jawari when his vehicle was destroyed.
The air raid comes barely two days after the intelligence chief of the militant group, Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi, surrendered himself to the government. Zakariya was a subject of $3 million US dollars bounty.
The al-Qaida affiliated group is trying to overthrow the Somali government and turn the country into a conservative Islamic state.
A U.S. spokesman said Monday that officials do not believe there were any civilian casualties in the airstrike.
In September, another U.S. airstrike in Somalia killed al-Shabab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane.
Somali and African Union troops have had success in beating back the militants over the past year.
-VOA contributed to the report
