Somali militant killed in missile attack

A missile strike has killed a member of al-Shabab, a militant commander says.

A member of Somali rebel group al-Shabab has been killed by a missile fired by a suspected drone, a rebel commander says, blaming the US for the strike.

Abu Mohamed said that Sahal Iskudhuq, a militant commander who was believed to be close to al-Shabab's top leader, was killed when his car was hit by a missile in Somalia's Lower Shebelle region.

The attack took place in a village called Hawai, he said.

A Somali intelligence official confirmed the attack, describing the victim as a "dangerous" militant.

His driver was also killed in the attack, the official said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to reveal the information.

Mohamed blamed the attack on the US, which flies drones over Somalia that occasionally fire at one of al-Shabab's top leaders.

Last October, a US military strike hit a vehicle carrying senior members of al-Shabab, killing its top explosives expert.

Al-Shabab is now mostly active in Somalia's rural regions, after being ousted from the capital by African Union forces in 2011.


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Source: AAP

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