U.S. Airstrike Kills Leader of Militant Group in Africa

The leader of al-Shabab, a militant group affiliated with al-Qaeda that has terrorized parts of Africa for the past decade, is dead.

Ahmed Godane, also known as Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, was killed by an American airstrike in Somalia last weekend, the Pentagon announced. He was al-Shabab's spiritual leader under whose direction the Somali militants forged an alliance with al-Qaeda.

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White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed the news in a statement sent Friday afternoon, calling Godane's death "a major symbolic and operational loss to the largest al-Qaida affiliate in Africa." Earnest said Godane's removal "reflects years of painstaking work by our intelligence, military and law enforcement professionals." Read more...

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