The US statement said the strike was carried out Thursday near Barawe town in southern Somalia's Lower Shabelle region.

At least one missile struck a location outside Barawe that the extremists often use to launch attacks on the government-held town, a Somali intelligence official said. He declined to give further details.
Al-Shabab "has cemented its control of southern and central Somalia" and used the area to "plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid and to shelter other radical terrorists," the US statement said.