A Somali official said U.S. helicopter gunships have launched new attacks against suspected al-Qaida terrorists.

The new attacks came a day after forces launched airstrikes in the first offensive in the African country since 18 U.S. troops were killed there in 1993.

A witness said earlier that helicopter gunships launched new attacks close to the scene of Monday's U.S. airstrike. At the time, it was unclear whether they were Ethiopian or American helicopters.

And Somalia's president said the United States has the right to carry out airstrikes against al-Qaida suspects in his country.

Officials said the targets were al-Qaida figures wanted for the bombings of two U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, which killed more than 200 people.