Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — The Al Qaida network in Somalia has killed its commanders.

The Shebab movement said it killed two commanders. One of the
commanders was identified as Ibrahim Mead, the founder of Shebab, linked to
Al Qaida.

“We have informed their widows of their deaths, as they must now wear the clothes of mourning,” Shebab spokesman Abdul Aziz Abu Musab said.

In a statement on June 29, Abu Musab did not explain why Shebab killed its own leaders. Mead, also known as “the Afghan,” was wanted by the United States, which offered a $5 million reward for his capture or death.

Over the last year, Shebab, believed to contain thousands of fighters, has been driven out of strongholds around the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The movement was said to have expanded from Somalia south, including Kenya.

The death of the commanders was not expected to harm Shebab. A United
Nations report asserted that Shebab might be receiving weapons, explosives
and fuel from Iran. The report said Iran sent more than 16,700 blocks of C-4
explosives through Yemen toward Somalia in January 2013.

“The military strength of Shebab, with an approximately 5,000-strong
force, remains arguably intact, in terms of operational readiness, chain of
command, discipline, and communication capabilities,” the UN report said.
“At present, Shebab remains the principal threat to peace and security in
Somalia.”

  Abdul Aziz Abu Musab, Al Qaida network Shebab in Somalia kills its own leaders, Ibrahim Mead, Mogadishu