Al Shabaab leader Godane killed in airstrike, US confirms

The U.S. government has confirmed that airstrikes carried out recently in Somalia against al Shabaab targets have killed the leader of that group, which has kept Somalia in a state of fear and lawlessness for years.

The Pentagon confirmed the reported rumors about Ahmed Abdi Godane's death in a statement released by Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby.

Godane was one of the co-founders of the al Qaida-affiliated al Shabaab. Reuters notes that he personally claimed responsibility for a devastating attack on a Nigerian shopping mall. The attack on the Westgate mall in 2013 left 67 people.

The attack that killed Godane took place Sept. 1, but the Pentagon waited days to confirm Godane's death. Although the press release did not say how the Pentagon recieved this confirmation, The New York Times reports that intelligence officials had been intercepting electronic communications to determine if Godane was dead.

An expert in the region told Reuters that a power struggle between various elements within al Shabaab would be the most likely consequence of Godane's demise.

The Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said he authorized the U.S. strikes, according to Reuters. Mohamud also used the opportunity to try and further weaken al Shabaab.

He claimed that al Shabaab was on the decline and near defeat, and continued to say that the process would only accelerate now that Godane is dead. He also said that he would grant an amensty period of 45 days to enable al Shabaab fighters who no longer wish to fight to leave the group.

While al Shabaab has had to abandon most of Somalia's larger cities and towns, they still hold sway over parts of the country. They are also still able to launch attacks in the capital of Mogadishu. Car bombs and shootings are still somewhat common, sometimes occurring within blocks of the Parliament and Presidential Palace.