Airstrike Kills Militant Leader

A Dec. 29 airstrike near Saakow, Somalia killed a top lieutenant in a major terrorist organization, the Pentagon confirmed Dec. 31. Tahlil Abdishakur, a security and intelligence chief with the al0-Shabab terrorist group, died in the attack when Hellfire missiles fired from an unmanned aircraft struck his vehicle. “His death will significantly impact al-Shabaab’s ability to conduct attacks against the government of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Somali people, and U.S. allies and interests in the region,” the Pentagon said in a statement.