A US air strike in Somalia has targeted a senior Al-Shabab leader accused of participating in deadly attacks on African forces and American citizens.
The Pentagon said on Friday the strike was aimed at Hassan Ali Dhoore, also described as a key member al-Qaeda.
| Al-Shabab denies extent of US air strikes |
It was unclear whether al-Shabab members were killed in the attack on Thursday, and the US defence department was "assessing the results of this operation", a statement said.
"Removing Dhoore from the battlefield would be a significant blow to al-Shabab's operational planning and ability to conduct attacks," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook was quoted saying.
Dhoore was said to be a member of al-Shabab's Amniyat, or security and intelligence wing, and was heavily involved in high-profile attack planning in the capital, Mogadishu.
The Pentagon said he planned and oversaw attacks resulting in the deaths of African Union military personnel and at least three US citizens.
Last month, the US said it carried out several air strikes in Somalia's Hiiraan region, in which it claimed more than 150 of the al-Qaeda-linked group's fighters had been killed.
However, two of the al-Shabab leaders said to have died in that attack later appeared in public.
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