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2nd LD Writethru: Senior Al-Shabaab member killed in U.S. airstrike in Somalia

Xinhua, February 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

A senior Al-Shabaab member was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week in southern Somalia, the Somali intelligence agency confirmed Wednesday.

Somali National Intelligence Agency (SNIA) said in a statement that Yusuf Dheeg, the militant group's senior intelligence officer, was killed in the air strike.

"Yusuf Dheeg was the coordinator of guerrilla attacks inside and outside Somalia. He was also one of the main leaders of Al- Shabaab," said the statement.

The agency said several other top members had also been killed in Saturday's U.S. drone attack targeting key Al-Shabaab installations and its leaders in Somalia.

The U.S. government said Tuesday Dheeg was the target of the air strike but could not confirm if he was killed.

The Pentagon spokesman, Rear Adm. John Kirby said analysts were still assessing results of the attack, but had determined that no civilians were injured.

The death of Dheeg deals a major blow to the militant group, which has lost some of its key leaders in the recent past, including the group's leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was killed in an airstrike by U.S. drones in September 2014. Endi