Somalia's Al-Shabaab rebel movement has tightened its ties to the al Qaeda terror network, with its leader pledging loyalty to al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Islamist militants control much of southern Somalia and have long been affiliated with al Qaeda. But in an audio message posted on Al-Shabaab's website Thursday, the Somali group's leader, Mukhtar Abu al-Zubair, tells al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri that his followers "will march with you as loyal soldiers." Al-Zawahiri took command of al Qaeda after U.S. commandos killed the movement's founder, Osama bin Laden, last May. Al-Zubair addresses al-Zawahiri as "my dear commander and kind sheikh" and congratulates him "for the defeat of the crusaders in Afghanistan and Iraq."
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The news "will delight the believers and annoy the crusaders," al-Zawahiri says
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Al-Shabaab has long been closely affiliated with al Qaeda
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The group had suffered a series of setbacks in recent months
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It had vowed allegiance to Osama bin Laden before his death
"On behalf of the soldiers and the commanders in @placeholder, we pledge allegiance to you.