U.S. says drone strike killed 2 terrorists from Kenya mall attack

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Two leaders of the al-Qaida-linked terror group that seized a Nairobi, Kenya, mall were killed Monday in a military drone attack, a U.S. military official said.

The official said the attack on a single vehicle in southern Somalia killed two leaders of al-Shabaab, including its explosives expert, identified as a man named Anta, NBC News reported.

The military official did not identify the second man killed.

The military official said the vehicle carrying the two leaders was hit by Hellfire missiles fired from a Predator. The official said no one outside of the vehicle was killed.

Terrorists stormed the tony shopping center in Kenya's capital in September and held it for four days. At least 67 people died and large parts of the mall were destroyed.

Witnesses told al-Jazeera the drone strike occurred near the town of Jilib near the Kenyan border.

"It was after afternoon prayers between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. when I heard a loud bang. Just one big bang," one person told al-Jazeera. "I came to the scene shortly after. I saw two dead bodies. Then al-Shabaab fighters came to the scene and took the bodies from the Suzuki vehicle. It was a drone strike."