The U.S. Africa Command, also known as AFRICOM, has said it has conducted “a collective self-defense” airstrike against Al Shabaab at the request of Somalia’s government, killing three members of the group.
AFRICOM said in a statement on its website that the strike took place on January 21 in an area located about 35 km northeast of Kismayo city in Somalia’s southern Lower Juba region in Jubaland state.
“The initial assessment is that the U.S. airstrike killed three Al Shabaab terrorists and that no civilians were injured or killed,” it said.
“U.S. Africa Command will continue to assess the results of this airstrike and will provide additional information as appropriate. Specific details about the units involved and assets used will not be released in order to ensure operational security,” AFRICOM added.
Somalia’s government did not publicly comment on the airstrike but state media said on January 22 that the national army and international allies had killled four Al Shabab members in an operation in the same region without mentioning a date.
The airstrike was reported to be the first of its kind by AFRICOM in Somalia this year.
The US military has conducted at least 262 airstrikes in Somalia since 2007, reportedly killing over 1,200 militants, according to data compiled by American news website Long War Journal.
