U.S. says al Qaeda was target of Somalia air strike

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military targeted "a known al Qaeda terrorist" in an attack early on Monday in southern Somalia, the Pentagon said.

It was the fourth U.S. air strike on Somalia in 14 months.

A U.S. military official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters the action was a deliberate strike against suspected terrorists in remote Dobley, Somalia, about 140 miles from the port city of Kismayu.

But a Pentagon spokesman said later the target had been a single al Qaeda militant.

"This attack was against a known al Qaeda terrorist," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman.

"As we have repeatedly said, we will continue to pursue terrorist activities and their operations wherever we may find them."

Whitman declined to provide details of the operation.

Meanwhile, the military official said it was too early to know what damage had been inflicted, including whether any people were injured or killed in the strike launched overnight Washington time (early morning GMT). The official declined to give details on the type of weapon used.

Local officials and witnesses in Somalia said they believed two missiles hit a makeshift house the town.

(Reporting by Andrew Gray and David Morgan, Editing by Doina Chiacu)