Official: 'Very Strong Probability' Somalia Terror Leader Killed In U.S. Airstrike

A source close to the U.S. government recently said that there is a "very strong probability" that U.S. forces successfully killed a top al Qaeda-linked leader in Somalia over the weekend.

The unnamed source told the Agence Free Presse in a recent interview that this past weekend's airstrike of a convoy leaving Barawe, Somalia and carrying six leaders of the al-Shabab terror group may have killed Ahmed Abdi Godane. Godane is the spiritual leader of the terrorist organization and is credited with affiliating al-Shabab with the al-Qaeda terror network.

The western source told the AFP that there is "a very strong probability that [Godane] is dead."

"This requires verification on the ground, which is not simple," the source added.

A Somalian official who also remained unnamed told the AFP that the African country's government believes Godane was killed in the recent U.S. airstrike.

"We believe that the Shebab leader is dead, though we don't have his body. Most probably he is dead," the official said, adding that "we are still assessing the situation."

Yesterday Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby confirmded that the U.S. had carried out an airstrike against the al-Shabab as leaders of the Islamic extremist group left a meeting near Barawe.

"U.S. military forces conducted an operation in Somalia today against the al-Shabab network. We are assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information as and when appropriate," Kirby told Reuters.

Although the U.S. has not indicated why it targeted the al-Shabab group over the weekend, several media outlets are suggesting the attack was carried out after members of al-Shabab raided a high security prison in Somalia in an attempt to free fellow extremists.