MOGADISHU

A leader of the Council of Islamic Courts, the radical militia ousted from Somalia in December, has been named as al-Qaeda’s leader in the country, according to government intelligence.

Aden Hashi Ayro has been directing the insurgency in the capital, Mogadishu, Salad Ali Jelle, the Deputy Defence Minister, said yesterday.

Counter-terrorism experts believe that Ayro, who is in his mid30s, had al-Qaeda training in Afghanistan. United Nations officials have linked him to the killings of 16 people, including Kate Peyton, a BBC journalist. He was also believed to have been involved in a failed plot to bring down an Ethiopian airliner.

Yesterday residents fled from their homes in Mogadishu during a second day of fighting between Islamic insurgents and Somali and Ethiopian troops. (AP)

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