U.S. Launches Strike Against Al-Shabab Leader in Somalia

The unmanned aerial vehicle strike targeted Hassan Ali Dhoore, who the Department of Defense said is a senior leader in the al-Qaeda offshoot, the Defense Department said. Military officials said they were trying to confirm whether Dhoore was killed.

"Removing Dhoore from the battlefield would be a significant blow to al-Shabaab's operational planning and ability to conduct attacks against the government of the Federal Republic of Somalia, its citizens, U.S. partners in the region, and against Americans abroad," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.