US says took part in Somalia raid that killed commander

The United States said on Friday it took part in a July 30 raid that killed a senior member of the al Shabaab network, which Mogadishu blames for several terrorist bombings.

The Somali information ministry said on Monday the attack near the southern town of Torotoroow targeted a man identified as Ali Mohamed Hussein or Ali Jabal.

“The U.S. conducted this operation in coordination with its regional partners as a direct response to al Shabaab actions, including recent attacks on Somali forces,” the U.S. military's Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement on Friday.

“His removal disrupts al Shabaab's ability to plan and conduct attacks in Mogadishu and coordinate efforts between al Shabaab regional commanders.”

It is the second such raid in the last two months that has killed senior members of al Shabaab.

A U.S. Navy SEAL was killed and two troops were wounded in May during a raid on one of the group's compounds in what appeared to be the first U.S. combat death in the African country since the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” incident.