US military says six ISIL militants killed in Puntland airstrike

[Deeq A.]

The latest airstrike by US forces in Somalia has left 6 Al Shabaab militants dead.

Officials say the airstrike was launched in the remote part of the Golis Mountains where the militants have set up cells.

In a statement, the US Africa Command said this is the seventh airstrike in a month against the ISIS-Somalia and Al-Shabaab.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. William West, who is the deputy director of operations, U.S. Africa Command said they will continue piling pressure on the terrorist networks in Somalia, to enable governance to take hold.

He said the continued precision airstrikes support Somali security forces efforts to protect the Somali people from terrorism and support long-term security in the region.

“U.S. Africa Command will continue to work with its partners to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia from AMISOM to the Federal Government of Somalia and its Member States. In support of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. forces will use all effective and appropriate methods to assist in the protection of the Somali people, including partnered military counterterrorism operations with the Federal Government of Somalia, AMISOM, and Somali National Army forces,” he said in a statement to the media.

According to the US-Africa command, no civilian was injured during this week’s airstrikes.

Since 2007, Al Shabaab has fought to overthrow successive internationally-backed governments in Mogadishu.

It was in 2011 that the Al-Qaeda affiliated group was pushed out of Mogadishu, the Somali capital and subsequently from other key towns including the port city of Kismayu.

Kenyan forces are in Somalia fighting under the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

View the full article