Suspected U.S. drone has crashed in Mubarak, a small agricultural town southwest of the capital.
U.S. government in cooperation with Somali government has stepped up attacks on Al-Shabab fighters in central and Southern Somalia in recent months.
Locals in Mubarak town in Lower Shabelle region said that the drone crashed the near their town on Saturday evening.
They added that Al-Shabaab fighters cordoned off the crash site.
The pro-Al-Shabaab website, meanwhile, quoted a group leader as saying that his group had seized a U.S. drone which had been on a reconnaissance mission above territories captured earlier by Al-Shabaab.
The drone wreckage and the cameras were retrieved by the group, an Al-Shabaab commander said.
“It crashed away from civilian areas. Our fighters took it away and we have removed the cameras from the drone,” said the commander.
Previously drone strikes have targeted senior members of the group, which is fighting to topple Somalia’s internationally recognised government.
In March, two Al-Shabab fighters were killed and three others injured after US military airstrike attacked the town which lies about 65 kilometer Southwest of Mogadishu.
The attack also destroyed a vehicle belonging to the group.
Mubarak which is riverside Al-Shabab stronghold town in the region was attacked by U.S drones in more than 13 times since last year.
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