Pentagon: Airstrike Targets Somali Terror Leader

A US airstrike in Somalia targeted a senior leader of the al-Shabab extremist group, the Pentagon said today. It did not identify the leader or say whether the strike was successful. In a brief written statement, the Pentagon said the airstrike took place today in the vicinity of Saakow, Somalia. It provided no details, beyond saying it did not believe the attack caused any civilian or bystander casualties. The Pentagon said it is assessing the results of the attack. Al-Shabab is an ultra-conservative Islamic militant group that is linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network and wants to run Somalia by its strict interpretation of Shariah law. US airstrikes on Sept. 1 killed al-Shabab's then-leader; another al-Shabab leader with a price on his head surrendered two days ago. (More al-Shabab stories.)