Al-Qaeda leader killed in U.S. airstrike in Somalia

An air strike in Somalia Thursday, which insurgents blamed on the U.S., killed at least 10 people, AFP says. The casualties include Al-Qaeda's military leader in the war-torn country, a rebel spokesman and residents said. Al-Qaeda leader killed in U.S. airstrike in Somalia The militant leader was named as Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro who had trained with Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, had been linked to the deaths of foreign aid workers, and officials said had been one of the targets of a US air strike in 2007. There was no immediate comment from the U..S military on whether it was behind the attack on a house in Dhusamareb, in the Galgudud region of central Somalia. "We are still digging debris at the house that was totally demolished. We have so far recovered 10 bodies, including that of Ayro. Three people who were injured have been taken to hospital," Abshir Moalim Ali, an elder in Dhusamareb told AFP. A war plane dropped three large bombs on the house at about 2:00am (2300 GMT Wednesday), according to another resident, Jamal Mohamoud. Ayro was the military leader of the Shabab group, which is on the US government's terrorist list. Shabab spokesman Sheikh Mukhtar Robow said Ayro and another senior Islamist, Sheikh Muhyadin Omar, were among the dead from the air strike. "A U.S. warplane bombed us in Dhusamareb district and there were casualties. This was an unprovoked attack," said Robow, whose group is a radical wing of the Islamist movement which is fighting the Somalia's Ethiopian-backed transitional government. Ayro and Omar are "the most important Shabab members who were victims of this foreign aggression. They passed away as they were fighting the liberation of their land," the spokesman added. If the attack is confirmed by Washington, it would be at least the fourth of its kind that the U.S. military has staged inside Somalia since the start of 2007. In March last year, the Somali government said Al-Qaeda had named Aryo as its leader in the country. In his early 30s, he carried out insurgency training in Afghanistan in the 1990s and ran a secret militia training centre. The U.S. government added Shabab to its list of terrorist organizations in March, saying its senior leaders were believed to have trained and fought with Osama bin Laden's network in Afghanistan. The United States has previously given Ethiopian troops tacit support against the Islamist militia who now control of much of southern and central Somalia.

Al-Qaeda leader killed in U.S. airstrike in Somalia

The militant leader was named as Moalim Aden Hashi Ayro who had trained with Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, had been linked to the deaths of foreign aid workers, and officials said had been one of the targets of a US air strike in 2007.

There was no immediate comment from the U..S military on whether it was behind the attack on a house in Dhusamareb, in the Galgudud region of central Somalia.

"We are still digging debris at the house that was totally demolished. We have so far recovered 10 bodies, including that of Ayro. Three people who were injured have been taken to hospital," Abshir Moalim Ali, an elder in Dhusamareb told AFP.

A war plane dropped three large bombs on the house at about 2:00am (2300 GMT Wednesday), according to another resident, Jamal Mohamoud.

Ayro was the military leader of the Shabab group, which is on the US government's terrorist list.

Shabab spokesman Sheikh Mukhtar Robow said Ayro and another senior Islamist, Sheikh Muhyadin Omar, were among the dead from the air strike.

"A U.S. warplane bombed us in Dhusamareb district and there were casualties. This was an unprovoked attack," said Robow, whose group is a radical wing of the Islamist movement which is fighting the Somalia's Ethiopian-backed transitional government.

Ayro and Omar are "the most important Shabab members who were victims of this foreign aggression. They passed away as they were fighting the liberation of their land," the spokesman added.

If the attack is confirmed by Washington, it would be at least the fourth of its kind that the U.S. military has staged inside Somalia since the start of 2007.

In March last year, the Somali government said Al-Qaeda had named Aryo as its leader in the country. In his early 30s, he carried out insurgency training in Afghanistan in the 1990s and ran a secret militia training centre.

The U.S. government added Shabab to its list of terrorist organizations in March, saying its senior leaders were believed to have trained and fought with Osama bin Laden's network in Afghanistan.

The United States has previously given Ethiopian troops tacit support against the Islamist militia who now control of much of southern and central Somalia.