MOGADISHU, Somalia – The U.S. military has killed ten Al Shabab militants in a drone strike near Kismay, a port town in the Lower Jubba region, about 500 km south of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
The strike took place on December 31 in the Berhani area, some 35 km northwest of Kismayo, at the request of the Somali government, U.S. Africa Command (US AFRICOM) said in a statement.
AFRICOM said the aerial raid killed 10 militants, with no civilians harmed. The strike was carried out after the militants attacked Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers.
Following the airstrike, U.S. forces provided support to SNA troops by evacuating soldiers who had been attacked by Al Shabab.
AFRICOM said Al Shabab had demonstrated its capability to attack U.S. and partner forces, threatening U.S. and international security interests both in Africa and beyond.
The U.S. military pledged to continue working with the SNA to take action to prevent Al Shabab’s plans to carry out attacks in the region, which could harm civilians.
Driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 by Somali army and African Union troops, Al Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked group, continues to carry out deadly attacks.
For over a decade, the group has been fighting to impose a hardline interpretation of Sharia law in Somalia.
Al Shabab still controls large swaths of southern and central Somalia, from where it is believed to launch attacks on military bases and the capital, Mogadishu.
