Somalia's al-Shabab: Ahmed Abdi Godane targeted by US

The US military has confirmed it carried out air strikes in Somalia, targeting the leader of militant group al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab, which wants an Islamic state in Somalia, has been on the defensive in recent months

The Pentagon confirmed the operation by US special forces but said it was still unclear if Ahmed Abdi Godane was hit.

Rear Adm John Kirby told reporters that if the rebel leader had been killed, it would be a significant blow.

The US has carried out several air strikes in Somalia in recent years on areas controlled by the group.

The al-Qaeda-linked group told the AP news agency that six of its fighters were killed in the attack, about 240km (150 miles) south of the capital, Mogadishu.

Spokesman Abu Mohammed said the group's leader had been travelling in the convoy, which was on its way to the coastal town of Barawe, but he refused to confirm whether Godane was among the victims.

 

Godane is one of the US state department's most wanted men and it has placed a bounty of $7m (£4.2m) on his head.

Witnesses said they heard three loud explosions and saw black smoke rising from the area after the attack. Others say there was brief exchange of fire immediately after the explosions.

The attack, using manned and unmanned aircraft, came just hours after a senior US army commander visited Mogadishu and held talks with Somali military chiefs.

Abdikadir Mohamed Nur, the governor of Lower Shabelle Region, who is travelling with African Union (AU) troops in the area, told the BBC that the US strike had been successful.

"US drones managed to hit the representative of al-Qaeda in Somalia, who is also the leader of al-Shabab, Ahmed Godane," he told the BBC Somali service.

"We can tell that a senior figure from the group was killed due to the way they reacted after the attack, as they have started committing atrocities in the area, they have beheaded some people who had mobile phones and arrested many others [for spying]."

Witnesses told the BBC that American forces flew in by helicopter to collect the victims' bodies after the strikes.