Senior leaders of al-Shabaab, IS killed in U.S. airstrikes: Pentagon
Xinhua, December 8, 2015 Adjust font size:
The Pentagon confirmed on Monday two U.S. airstrikes had killed a senior leader of al-Qaida-affiliated group al-Shabaab in Somalia and a senior leader of Islamic State (IS) in Libya.
Abdirahman Sandhere, also known as "Ukash", was killed during a U.S. airstrike in Somalia on Dec. 2, said Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook in a statement.
The airstrike "specifically targeted" Sandhere, said Cook, adding that two other al-Shabaab-affiliated associates were also killed in the strike.
"This is an important step forward in the fight against al-Shabaab and reflects the painstaking work by our intelligence, military, and law enforcement professionals," Cook said.
Al-Shabaab, an extremist group, is responsible for dozens of attacks in east Africa, particularly Kenya.
In February this year, the group released a video calling for attacks on shopping malls in the United States, Canada and Britain.
In another statement issued on Monday, Cook confirmed that Abu Nabil, also known as Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al Zubaydi, an Iraqi national who was a longtime al-Qaida operative and the senior IS leader in Libya, was killed in a U.S. strike on Nov. 13.
It was the first U.S. strike against an IS leader in Libya, Cook said. Endit