WASHINGTON [SMN] — The United States has reported conducting a new airstrike against al-Shabab in Somalia on Tuesday, killing seven militants.
In a statement, the U.S. military’s Africa Command [AFRICOM] said it carried out a “collective self-defense” strike against al-Shabab following a request from the Somali government.
The strike occurred in a remote area near Galmudug, Somalia which is approximately 510 km northeast of Mogadishu, in support of Somali National Army engagements against al-Shabab, AFRICOM said.
“Given the remote location of the operation, the initial assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed,” the statement said.
It will be the 6th bombing in 2023 carried out by the United States in Somalia.
Since January 20, the U.S. conducted several “collective self-defense” strikes against al-Shabab near the town of Galcad in Galmudug, killing dozens of militants.
Despite the operations, al-Shabab has been conducting raids and complex attacks against Somali military camps and government installations in the capital, Mogadishu.
Somalia remains central to stability and security in all of East Africa. U.S. Africa Command’s forces train, advise, and assist partner forces to help give them the tools they need to defeat al-Shabaab, the largest and most deadly al-Qaeda network in the world.
