MOGADISHU, Somalia - The U.S. military attacked a "known al Qaeda terrorist" in southern Somalia, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday.
Spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters that the attack was launched on Sunday, local time, but he declined to provide any details, including whether the targeted individual was hit or whether there were any other casualties.
Whitman also would not identify or further describe the targeted individual or say how the attack was carried out.
It was not entirely clear whether the U.S. strike was aimed at a single individual. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters, "the action was to go after al Qaeda and al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists," suggesting that it may have been designed to hit more than one person.
Like Whitman, Johndroe declined to provide any details.
Somali police said three missiles hit a Somali town held by Islamic extremists, destroying a home and seriously injuring eight people.
Whitman said the attack was launched in accordance with standard U.S. policy.
"As we have repeatedly said, we will continue to pursue terrorist activities and their operations wherever we may find them," the spokesman said. "We do work very closely with our partners in the region in the conduct of our military operations." He declined to say if he was referring to Somalia in this case.
One U.S. military official said the target was believed to have been staying in a building known to be used regularly by terrorist suspects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the record.
The strike follows one last year in which the U.S. shelled suspected al Qaeda targets in Somalia, using gunfire from a U.S. Navy ship off the shore of the lawless East African nation.
