DHUSAMAREB, Somalia – Suspected US drones bombed an Al-Shabaab-controlled small town in central Somalia as SNA stepped up ground military operation in Galmudug state.
The sources in the area said the airstrike targeted the Ali Heyle area within the Galgadud region, where Al-Shabaab was mobilizing fighters for an attack against military bases.
Details of the casualties resulting from the bombing still remain unverified as the area is remote with no officials in the region speaking about the operation though it has been carried out by the US military.
The bombed village lies on the border between the Middle Shabelle and Galgadud regions, where an intensive military operation against Al-Shabaab was underway for several months.
On the other hand, reports from central Somalia indicate that low-level flying warplanes were spotted over the sky of several areas around Al-Shabaab-held Galhareri and others.
The Somali government’s move to wrest back control from Al-Shabaab in parts of central regions is yielding fruits as SNA and allied local community fighters and US military flush Al-Shabaab out of many areas.
U.S. forces are training Somali special troops known as Danab as part of the fight against al-Shabab, a subsidiary of Al Qaeda. Washington is a key partner in counterterrorism.