Mogadishu: The man believed to be the head of al-Qaeda in Somalia has been killed in an air strike along with eight other people, an Islamic insurgent group said today.

The spokesman for the Islamic al-Shabab militia, Sheik Muqtar Robow, said the overnight strike killed Aden Hashi Ayro, his brother, another commander and six others in the central Somali town of Dusamareeb. Six more people were wounded.

"Our brother martyr Aden Hashi, has received what he was looking for - death for the sake of Allah - at the hands of the United States," Robow told the Associated Press by phone.

"This would not deter us from continuing our holy war against Allah's enemy; we will be on the right way, that is why we are targeted. I call for our holy fighters to remain strong in their position and keep up the jihad," he added.

Somali government officials said Ayro trained in Afghanistan before the September 11 attacks and heads up al-Qaeda's cell in Somalia.

He was a key figure in the al-Shabab movement, which aims to impose Islamic law and launches daily attacks on the shaky Somali government and its Ethiopian allies. He has also called for attacks on African peacekeepers in Somalia in a recording on an Islamic website.

Sheik Muhidin Mohamud Omar, who Robow described as "a top commander" in the Al-Shabab, was also killed.

A local elder, Ali Ahmed Said, said five people died inside the targeted house and the rest were in neighbouring buildings.

Earlier, Robow had said all the casualties were in one house.

Source : PTI