US put $7M bounty on Al-Shabab founder

The United States is to offer millions of dollars in rewards for information leading to the capture of leaders of the Somali militant group al-Shabab. It is the first time the US has offered money for specific members of the group, which announced its allegiance to al-Qaeda earlier this year.

It has put a price of $7m (£4.5m) on al-Shabab's founder and commander, Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamud Godane.  It comes as African Union forces make key advances against the group.

Al-Shabab still controls much of the country but is under pressure from Ethiopian troops, pro-government militias and the African Union force, which has US and European funding. African Union and Somali government forces last week captured the town of Afmadow, a strategic militant base in the south of the country.  Source ( BBC Africa )