US Forces Launch Missile Strike Against Shebab Leader in Somalia

Photo Credit: AFP Photo/Mohamed Abdiwahab

The US military launched a missile strike in Somalia on Sunday targeting a suspected Shebab militant leader, defense officials said.

One of the officials said an unmanned drone launched the missile in the late evening hours, but declined to confirm the suspect’s identity or whether the strike was successful.

The US government has “been tracking this guy for years,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A second US official said the strike in the southeastern port town of Barawe “was against a senior Shebab commander.”

“The US is assessing the results of the operation” to determine if the suspect was killed, the official added.