Key Takeaways
- The US Africa Command executed an airstrike against Al-Shabaab at Somalia’s request.
- 13 militants were killed, and no civilians were harmed.
- The operation supported the Somali National Army fighting the terrorist group near Kismayo.
Mogadishu: US Africa Command announced on Sunday that, at the request of the Somalian government, the US armed forces carried out an airstrike against the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.
The strike resulted in the death of 13 militants of the group, with no civilian casualties reported.
“The collective self-defense airstrike was conducted in the early morning hours of Aug. 26, in support of Somali National Army forces who were engaged by the terrorist organization. Working with the Somali National Army, US Africa Command’s initial assessment is that the airstrike killed 13 al Shabaab fighters and that no civilians were injured or killed,” the command said in a statement.
The statement added that the strike hit the target 45 kilometers (27.9 miles) northwest of the city of Kismayo.
Al-Shabaab is a Somalia-based jihadist militant group linked to al-Qaeda terrorist group (banned in Russia). It wages armed resistance against the Somali government and obstructs UN humanitarian missions in the country.
