Mogadishu: The US military has announced Sunday that it launched an air strike that killed five extremist militants in central Somalia.
The US Africa Command confirmed to the Associated Press that the air strike was near Al Bur.
The US said it assessed that no civilians were killed in the air strike.
Two Somali intelligence officials told AP on Sunday that the air strike targeted a vehicle carrying senior Al Shabab officials and the dead included a woman. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity for their security.
Al Shabab officials did not immediately comment on the incident. However, pro-Al Shabab media outlets reported that only two civilians were killed in the air strike, quoting senior commanders of the militant group.
The US has carried out more than a dozen drone strikes against Al Shabab since last year, after the Trump administration approved expanded military efforts against the extremist group.
The US said the latest air strike, like others, was carried out in cooperation with Somalia’s government.
