Al-Queda in Somalia?

NAIROBI (AFP) - A US airstrike in Somalia killed "eight to 10" alleged Al-Qaeda affiliates, but none of the three top militants sought by the United States in the lawless nation, a senior US official has said.

"The three high-value targets are still of intense interest to us as well as other Al-Qaeda affiliates," the official said Thursday in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, on condition of anonymity.

The official said there had been only one US airstrike, on Monday, that the three suspects had not been "primary targets" of the raid and that, despite reports to the contrary, it resulted in no civilian casualties.

"They were not the primary targets. One of the group (that was hit) was a significant Al-Qaeda affiliated figure," the official said, refusing to comment on whether the "significant figure" had been killed.