Al-Shabaab, the Somali militants that pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda, may have appointed a new leader following its withdrawal from the capital, Mogadishu, Strategic Forecasting Inc. said.
Ibrahim Haji Mead replaced Ahmad Abdi Godane as head of the rebel group, the Austin, Texas-based intelligence group said in an e-mailed note today, citing unidentified Somali media. The promotion of Mead, who is also known as Ibrahim al-Afghani after fighting in Afghanistan and Kashmir, hasn’t been confirmed, Stratfor said, citing a person it didn’t identify.
