Africa News
US airstrike in Somalia kills suspected al-Qaeda operative (Roundup)
May 1, 2008, 16:47 GMT
The spokesman of the Islamic Courts Union Sheikh Mohamoud Sheikh Ibrahim Suley, also the former secretary general of the Shora council of the Islamic courts held a press conference in Mogadishu, after Alshabab, leader Adan Ayrow was killed by an air strike in Dhusamareb, in northern Somalia on 01 May 2008. EPA/STR
Nairobi/Mogadishu - A US military airstrike in Somalia is believed to have killed al-Qaeda's top operative in the East African country.
US Central Command on Thursday confirmed that it had carried out a strike against a known al-Qaeda leader near the town of Dusamareb but did not identify the target.
BBC News, citing witnesses, reported that Adan Hashi Ayro, who was also the leader of the al-Shabaab militia, died along with eight other people in the overnight air raid on his house.
Lieutenant Joseph Holstead, a spokesman for Central Command in Tampa, Florida, did not provide a name of the target and said further analysis was needed to confirm whether the strike successfully killed the target.
Residents said they saw US fighter planes. The Somali news agency Garowe Online reported Ayro's house was hit by at least three rockets.
US aircraft attacked Islamic rebels in the south of the country only a few weeks ago.
Ayro, who was trained in Afghanistan by the radical Taliban movement, was one of the leaders of the insurgency against the interim Somali government and its Ethiopian allies.
The al-Shabaab militia is the armed wing of the Sharia Courts movement, which was ousted from power at the beginning of 2007 with Ethiopian assistance.
Since then, the Islamists have been waging a guerilla war against government troops.
The interim government has been unable to achieve stability in the Horn of Africa country that has been plagued by chaos and civil war since 1991.
In the past year, hundreds of thousands of people have fled the capital Mogadishu.
The International Red Cross said Wednesday that it was 'extremely concerned' about the humanitarian situation in Somalia.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Must condemn the US evil empire for indiscriminate strikes on sovereign nations!
Poor thing yesterday he was on US pay, today he is dead and called evil by the EVIL OF THE WORLD.
It happens time and again that evil doers of the world think that they are right and every one else is wrong.
This is state terrorism, since committed by a powerful nation with most of the NUKES in existence it is ok.
Good work boys, only a couple a million more to go.
No holds barred, where ever they are.
Outstanding.
dead al-Qaeda are always a good thing.
I rather think that Mr Adan Hashi Ayro has just found out that there is no Allah or paradise because Muhammed made the whole thing up so that he can control the minds of simple men.
It's the classical con trick, if it sounds too good to be true it is too good to be true. What a set of loosers they are.
It is time to think!
COULD A URINATING AND SHITTING MAN BE YOUR GOD?
I do not think at least he is just like me, then i am your god too, worship me! UH!
need some more these bombs to take out the el dimwads....no need for soldiers be put in harms way.
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BR - - - - Raised in New York City- - - - -May 1st, 2008 - 20:18:56
A Hearty 'well done' and congratulations to the pilots and ground unit team that struck Ayrow down. The heads of the snakes taken out first has always been the best way to deal with these bedouin cowards. We can go on fighting these snakes this way. It doesn't cost us much and three rockets
is not too high a price to take out a 'head coward' versus a run of the mill type insurgent any day. Godspeed all U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Army. We appreciate you!
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