ICC Note:
Following a targeted airstrike carried out Monday by the United States that killed former al-Shabaab leader, Ahmed Godane, the radical Islamic insurgency has named its former third leader, “low-ranking commander” Ahmed Omar Abu Ubaidah as its top commander. While the future of al-Shabaab is likely up for debate, an attack that killed an American military specialist, 12 civilians, and two African Union peacekeeping forces has made clear that the al Qaeda -linked group still intends to perpetrate act of terror against its opposition
09/06/2014 Somalia (CNN) – The Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab has named a successor to its leader killed in an American airstrike this week, a spokesman said Saturday.
The announcement came as Somalia braced for possible retaliation after Monday’s killing of Ahmed Godane.
Al-Shabaab’s new leader is Ahmed Omar Abu Ubaidah, spokesman Sheikh Ali Dheere said in an audio message posted online.
He is the group’s third leader and was characterized as a low-ranking commander. No other information was available.
“The death of Godane will not stop the group from carrying out its terror operations,” the spokesman said. “We lost our great leader Ahmed Godane and two other commanders in hands of the enemy on Monday night’s U.S. airstrike.”
His confirmation came after days of denying his death.
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