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The US military announced Tuesday that it has killed 60 al-Shabaab militants during an air strike in Somalia, the largest strike of this type perpetrated against the terrorist group for nearly a year.
The US Command for Africa (AFRICOM) announced that the strike had taken place Friday (October 12th) near the city of Harardere – in the center of the country – in coordination with the Somali government, according to a news release. AFRICOM.
"This precision airstrike was the biggest air strike against al-Shabaab since November 21, 2017, when US forces conducted an air strike against an al-Shabaab camp, killing a hundred terrorists," notes the commandment.
AFRICOM stated that no civilians had been injured or killed during the strike.
The United States has conducted more than 25 airstrikes this year, including drone strikes, against Al-Shabaab, which is linked to Al Qaeda.
The last strike took place on Sunday. This was a "self-defense aerial strike" targeting militants near Araara, "after his partner's armed forces were the target of gunfire." light ". Four activists were killed during the strike, according to the command.
"Together with our Somali and international partners, we pledge to prevent the Shabab from taking advantage of the shelters that allow them to build their capabilities and attack the Somali people," AFRICOM said.
Last year, the terrorist group bombed a truck in Mogadishu, an attack that killed more than 500 people and was the deadliest in the world since 9/11. The group has since been pushed out of the city but still controls parts of southern and central Somalia.
Under President Trump, the Pentagon has increased air strikes and ground troops in the country since 2017. There are currently about 500 US troops in Somalia.
"The desired end state in East Africa is a state in which terrorist organizations can not destabilize Somalia and its neighboring states, nor threaten the interests of the United States and its international allies in the region," he said. declared the command.
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