WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that Ahmed Godane, a founder of the al-Shabaab Islamist group, was killed in a U.S. air strike in Somalia this week, calling it a "major symbolic and operational loss" for the al Qaeda-affiliated organization.
"We have confirmed that Ahmed Godane, the co-founder of al-Shabaab, has been killed," Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.
(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Doina Chiacu)