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.
29 January 2016, 05:15 GMT
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.
