Reported by Kenyan and Somalia officials, among those killed in the raid are “al-Shabaab” leaders Dhere, Ismail Jabhadi and one intelligence chief of Al-Shabaab Tohow.
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“Over 30 were killed, among them most wanted terrorists”, Kenya’s interior ministry spokesperson Mwenda Njoka said.
Medea Benjamin, founder of Global Drones Watch, said that drone attacks in Somalia and the Middle East should be conducted through the United Nations and the African Union.
“Garissa University attack mastermind Mohamed Kuno… was killed in the morning attack”, Njoka said.
Officials in neighboring Kenya, however, claim the victims were al-Shabab militants, including some of their commanders.
The US has killed several senior members of al-Shabab in drone strikes in the past.
The attack comes just a week ahead of President Obama’s scheduled state visit to Kenya, and will probably be hyped by the Kenyan government as proof of their close military ties.
They have also made a string of attacks and massacres across northeastern Kenya, from Mandera in the far north to the Lamu region on the coast.
The strike took place in the early hours of Thursday.
At least two missiles were fired in the strikes, destroying a vehicle and causing a massive explosion in the nearby al-Shabaab base at Bardhere.
As said by traditional elders near Bardhere town in the southern Gedo region, at least two missiles struck vehicles believed to be carrying commanders of the Somali-led Al-Qaeda affiliate.
The sources said that the deadly attack was carried out near the town of Bardere, about 400 kilometers southwest of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in the southern Gedo region on Thursday.
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Immediately following the attack, the mobile phone network in the area was cut off.
