The December 2 strike that killed three was announced on Monday by Pentagon spokesperson Navy Captain Jeff Davis.

Davis identified the targeted al-Shabaab senior leader as Abdirahman Sandhere and said he is also known as Ukash.

Davis also said the US has confirmed that a November 13 airstrike killed a senior ISIS leader in Libya known as Abu Nabil. US officials had said shortly after the attack that Nabil likely had died. By coincidence, that airstrike happened just as the Paris terrorist attacks were underway.

Al-Shabaab, an Islamic extremist group, is responsible for numerous attacks in east Africa, particularly Kenya.