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The leader of al-Shabab extremist group was the target of U.S. military airstrike in Somalia that destroyed an encampment and a vehicle there on Monday night, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
The operation, which involved manned and unmanned aircraft operated by U.S. special operations forces, was a direct strike against the al-Shabab network, and specifically, the group's leader, Ahmed Abdi al-Muhammad, also known Ahmed Godane, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.
The operation was carried out after actionable intelligence was obtained that suggested that Godane was present at the camp, located south of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, he said.
It was too early to know whether Godane was killed as a result of the airstrike, Kirby said, adding that if he were, it would be a "very significant blow to their network, to their organization and, we believe, to their ability to continue to conduct terrorist attacks."
"We certainly believe that we hit what we were aiming at," he said.
The aircraft fired several Hellfire missiles and laser-guided munitions, he said, noting that the Defense Department is still assessing the results of the operation.
No U.S. forces were present on the ground, either before or after the attack, he said.
Al-Shabab, a jihadist group based in Somalia, has occupied most of southern Somalia since 2006, he said.
The group has claimed responsibility for last year's attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in more than 70 deaths and 200 injured. The group is also believed to be responsible for many bombings, including suicide attacks in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, Kirby said.
The United States will continue to use all of the tools at its disposal, including finance, diplomacy, intelligence and military force, to dismantle al-Shabab and other terrorist groups that threaten U.S. interests and those of U.S. allies and partners, he said.
