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MOGADISHU, Somalia — Al Shabab’s top leader was in one of two vehicles hit Monday night by a U.S. military strike, a member of the Somali Islamic extremist group said Tuesday.

The rebel commander would not say whether Ahmed Abdi Godane, the group’s leader, was among the six militants killed, but the U.S. is relatively confident Godane died in the attack.

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Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said the results of the strike are still being assessed and he can’t confirm if the rebel leader was hit.

According to Kirby, the strikes against Godane were conducted by special operations forces using manned and unmanned aircraft. He said the U.S. launched the operation based on “actionable” intelligence, and they struck using several hellfire missiles and precision-guided munitions.

Kirby said the airstrikes “hit what we were aiming at,” and if Godane was killed, it would be a “significant blow” to the organization and its abilities.