MOGADISHU - Somalia’s government has offered an amnesty to fighters of Islamist group al-Shabab, amid uncertainty over whether its leader survived a US air strike.

The militants would be reintegrated into society if they surrendered over the next 45 days, a statement said.

The offer seems to be an attempt to exploit the vulnerability of al-Shabab following the air strike, analysts say.

Al-Shabab has refused to say whether its leader Ahmed Abdi Godane survived.

The strike took place on Monday as Mr Godane was travelling in a convoy in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region.

Witnesses said US troops landed at the site soon after the strike and took away bodies after a fierce gun battle, reports the BBC Somali Service’s Abdullahi Abdi. The Somali government’s amnesty offer appears to be a political initiative aimed at encouraging defections from al-Shabab, he says.

The group is under pressure militarily - not only has it faced a US air assault, but African Union (AU) and government troops have launched a ground offensive to recapture territory, our reporter adds.

Al-Shabab has lost control of four towns in the past week, with AU and government forces now advancing towards the coastal town of Barawe, the main base of the militants, he says.