Pentagon Confirms Drone Strike Killed Al-Shabaab Leader

The Pentagon confirmed this week that a recent drone-operated airstrike over Somalia killed one of the leaders of the al-Shabaab terrorist group.

The unmanned U.S. drone was reportedly traveling over Saakow, Somalia on Monday when it fired several Hellfire missiles at a vehicle carrying Tahliil Abdishakur, chief of the Islamic militant group's intelligence and security wing.

Somalian officials also confirmed that two other top security advisers to al-Shabaab were also killed in the airstrike.

The Pentagon said in a statement that the terrorist leader "was responsible for al-Shabaab's external operations."

"With the help of the Somali national security and intelligence agency and its U.S. counterpart, an al Shabaab leader was killed last night," the statement continued.

"His death will significantly impact al-Shabaab's ability to conduct attacks against the government of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Somali people, and U.S. allies and interests in the region," the statement added.

The Pentagon added that it was able to successfully carry out the December 29 attack in Saakow based on "actionable intelligence."

This recent drone attack comes three months after another airstrike successfully killed the leader of al-Shabaab who linked the Somalia-based terrorist group to al-Qaeda.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest commented on the death of the al-Qaeda affiliate, Ahmed Godane, back in September after he was killed.

"Godane's removal is a major symbolic and operational loss to the largest al-Qaeda affiliate in Africa and reflects years of painstaking work by our intelligence, military and law enforcement professionals," Earnest said.