Three Al-Shabaab militants killed in US strike in Somalia

[Deeq A.]

MOGADISHU (Caasimada Online)–The US military says it has carried out drone strike targeting Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab group in southwest of Somalia.

The strike was carried out in area, some 40km southwest of Somali capital Mogadishu, killing three Al-Shabaab militants, according to US Africom Commando.

US Africa Command said the strike had been conducted in coordination with the Somali government.

The Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab was pushed out of the Somali capital in 2011 — and subsequently other towns and cities — by soldiers from the African Union Mission in Somalia.

But the Islamists still hold sway in large parts of the countryside and launch regular gun and bomb attacks on government, military and civilian targets in Mogadishu and ambushes on military convoys and outposts.

The United States has carried out more than 20 airstrikes against Al-Shabab in Somalia in 2018.

The special operations forces have also been rotating through the country for several years to bolster local and regional forces.

There was no immediate comments from Al Shabaab over the claims.

US serves as front-line advisers to a United Nations-backed government of Somalia, struggling against rebel factions across the country, particularly in rural southern Somalia.

The U.S. military partners with the African Union Mission to Somalia, or AMISOM, during combined counter-terrorism operations against al Shabab training camps and terrorist leadership.

The African Union has a combined contribution of roughly 22,000 personnel in Somalia.

In early June, one U.S. soldier was killed and four more were wounded during an attack by Al-Shabab militants that consisted of small-arms fire and mortars near Kismayo, a town some 500km south of Somali capital Mogadishu.

Caasimada Online
Mogadishu News Desk
Caasimada@live.com