Somalia warns of al-Shabab revenge attacks

In a televised speech Friday night, Somalia's national security minister General Khalif Ahmed Ereg said the government was preparing its armed forces in the wake of the death of al-Shabab leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane.

Ereg said there was "credible intelligence" that militants were planning attacks on key targets including medical and educational institutions following his killing.

"Security agencies have obtained information indicating that al-Shabab is now planning to carry out desperate attacks against medical facilities, education centers and other government facilities," Ereg said.

"The security forces are ready to counter their attacks and we call on people to help the security forces in standing against violent acts," he added.

On Friday, the Pentagon confirmed that Godane, the leader of al Qaeda's main affiliate in Africa, died on Monday when US drones and manned aircraft launched missiles and laser-guided bombs on a meeting of the terror group's commanders in southern Somalia.

The US State Department had listed Godane as one of the world's eight top terror fugitives.

Al-Shabab silence over killing

There was no comment from al-Shabab, which had refused to confirm or deny reports of Godane's death.

He had been fighting to overthrow Somalia's internationally-backed government and had sanctioned a wave of suicide bombings, commando attacks, assassinations and kidnappings.

It's believed the 37-year-old terror chief had trained with the Taliban in Afghanistan and had also overseen the group's transformation from local insurgency to a major regional guerrilla threat.

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said his killing was "a chance for members of Al-Shabab to embrace peace."

"...this is a chance for the majority of [al-Shabab] members to change course and reject Godane's decision to make them the pawns of an international terror campaign," he said.

Mohamud also said the government was "willing to offer amnesty to al-Shabab members who reject violence and renounce their links to al-Shabab and al-Qaeda," but only for the next 45 days.

Kenya's response to Godane's death

On Saturday, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta offered his "heartfelt thanks" to the US for Godane's killing.

Kenyatta said it "provides a small measure of closure" for victims of the Westgate shopping mall siege around a year ago in Kenya's capital, Nairobi. At least 67 people died and dozens were wounded in the attack.

"A year ago this month, armed terrorists entered the Westgate mall and committed some of the most savage crimes ever perpetrated on Kenyan soil," he said.

lw/hc (AP, AFP, Reuters)