Somalia: US-Backed Strike Kills Top Al-Shabaab Commanders

Somali forces have killed two senior leaders of the Al-Shabaab militant group. The operation was an air strike planned with international partners. Somalia's defence minister announced the news on Saturday. He called it a major blow to the group's leadership. While not named by Somalia, the United States is its main international partner in such counter-terrorism missions. Al-Shabaab is linked to Al-Qaeda. The militant group has not yet commented on the reported deaths. It controls large parts of rural southern and central Somalia. The strike is the latest in a long-running offensive against the group by Somali and allied forces.