Mogadishu: The US military has announced two new airstrikes against al-Shabab extremists in Somalia, and Somalia's president says the joint operation killed a high-level leader of the group.
The US statement says the airstrikes were carried out on Friday near the Banadiir region in southern Somalia.
Somalia's president in a separate statement says the al-Shabab leader had been part of a network responsible for planning and carrying out several bombings and assassinations in the capital, Mogadishu.
President Donald Trump earlier this year approved expanded military operations against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, including more aggressive airstrikes and considering parts of southern Somalia areas of active hostilities.
al-Shabab is the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa.
The US earlier this month confirmed another airstrike killed al-Shabab's shadow governor for Mogadishu.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)