US air strikes kill 15 Al Shabaab terrorists in Somalia

A US Africa Command statement says the air strikes occurred in the vicinity of Gandarshe, Lower Shabelle region.

Smoke rises after an explosion in Mogadishu, Somalia February 4, 2019 in this video screen grab taken from social media.
Reuters Archive

Smoke rises after an explosion in Mogadishu, Somalia February 4, 2019 in this video screen grab taken from social media.

The United States military says targeted air strikes against suspected terrorists in Somalia have killed 15.

A US Africa Command statement says the air strikes occurred in the vicinity of Gandarshe, Lower Shabelle region, on Wednesday and in the vicinity of Bariire in the same region on Thursday.

The air strikes killed 11 and four people, respectively, after Somali troops engaged the terrorists. The statement says no civilians were harmed.

These are the latest in a dramatic uptick in US air strikes in the Horn of Africa nation since President Donald Trump took office.

The Al Qaida-affiliated Al Shabaab terrorist group once controlled large swathes of Somalia. African Union forces have succeeded in pushing it from major cities.

Al Shabaab, the deadliest militant group in Africa, continues with attacks in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya.

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