A US warship attacked a suspected al Qaeda target in northern Somalia, CNN reported, and residents said missiles had pounded hills where foreign jihadists fled after clashing with locals.
There was no immediate news of casualties from Friday's strike, which unnamed sources told CNN was the second in six months to target a suspect in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 240 people.
A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on the report.
Locals in Barga, a port in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, said the missiles appeared to be aimed at a group of Islamists, including foreigners, who landed by boat in the area on Wednesday and had a gun battle with local police.
Local media said Puntland troops on trucks fitted with heavy guns raced to the area after the air strikes. The forces also blocked roads and refused to let journalists reach the scene.
Another Barga resident said at least two uniformed US military officers had arrived in the port late on Friday.