U.S. forces working from intelligence reports and using unmanned aircraft struck a vehicle carrying a member of al-Shabab's intelligence and security wing near Diinsoor, Somalia, a Pentagon official said today.
Adan Garar, a key operative responsible for coordinating the Somali militant group's external operations, was killed in the March 12 strike, according to the official.
Al-Shabab’s operations target U.S. citizens and other Western interests to further al-Qaida's goals and objectives, the official said.
Garar posed a major threat to the region and the international community and was connected to the West Gate Mall attack that killed dozens of people in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2013, the official said.
“His death has dealt another significant blow to the al-Shabab terrorist organization in Somalia,” the official added.
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