MOGADISHU, Somalia — The US military for the first time has conducted two airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Somalia, where the group is a growing presence in a country long threatened by the Al Qaeda-linked extremist group al-Shabab.

The US Africa Command said the two drone strikes killed ‘‘several terrorists’’ in northeastern Somalia, with the first around midnight local time and the second later Friday morning. The United States said the strikes were carried out in coordination with Somalia’s government.

At least six missiles struck in Buqa, a mountainous village roughly 35 miles north of Qandala town in the northern state of Puntland, a Somali security official said. The airstrike may have targeted top leaders of the group, he said.

The US military this year has carried out well over a dozen drone strikes against al-Shabab after the Trump administration approved expanded efforts against the group.

ASSOCIATED PRESS