US carries out airstrike in Somalia targeting al-Shabab leader

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US forces carried out an airstrike targeting and killing a leader within the al-Shabab militant group, US Africa Command announced on Monday.

The strike targeted an "al-Shabaab militant network" about 370 kilometers (230 miles) southwest of Mogadishu, the command said in a statement. The military said its "initial assessment" is that the leader, whom it did not identify by name, was killed, and the strike did not result in any civilian casualties.

"U.S. Africa Command takes great measures to prevent civilian casualties. Protecting innocent civilians remains a vital part of the command’s operations to promote a more secure and stable Africa," it added. "U.S. Africa Command will continue to assess the results of the operation and will provide additional information as appropriate."

It declined to provide specific details on the types of units that were involved in the strike, nor did it outline what kinds of equipment were used, citing "operations security."