WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States utilized airstrikes to eliminate some 100 members of the terrorist group al-Shabaab in Somalia, US senior defense officials told the media on Monday.
"As many as 100 members of the al-Shabab terrorist group were killed by US airstrikes in Somalia overnight Sunday," the officials told NBC News.
US drones had launched Hellfire missiles on members of the terror group while they appeared to participate in a ceremony, the officials said.
However, the officials said they were unsure whether the airstrikes had killed any senior al-Shabab leaders.
Al-Shabaab has said it seeks to overthrow the Somali government to impose a strict version of Islam in the country. The group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Somalia and at the border towns of Kenya.