Mogadishu — Somalia said on Thursday that a precision air strike carried out last month in the town of Jilib, in the Middle Juba region, killed two senior Al-Shabaab commanders, including the group's chief bomb maker who was wanted by the United States.

In a statement, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the operation, conducted on December 10 with support from international partners, killed Abdullahi Osman Mohamed, also known as Engineer Ismail, and Abdikarim Mohamed Hersi, known as Qoorleex.

Engineer Ismail was described as one of Al-Shabaab's most senior and dangerous leaders, serving as the mastermind behind the group's explosives unit, its elite Amniyat fighters and its propaganda wing, Al-Kataaib.

The United States had placed a $5 million bounty on Engineer Ismail, whom Somali authorities accuse of playing a key role in organising major bomb attacks, including the deadly October 14 bombing in Mogadishu, as well as numerous other assaults targeting civilians and public property.

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The second militant killed, Qoorleex, was a senior propaganda and coordination official for Al-Shabaab, with responsibility for operations across the Juba region, NISA said.

The agency said the targeted strike was carefully planned and successfully neutralised a major threat posed by the two commanders, dealing a blow to the Al-Qaida-linked group's operational and media capabilities.

Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency against Somalia's internationally backed government for more than 15 years and continues to carry out frequent attacks despite sustained military pressure from Somali forces and their allies.