MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – At least eight militants have been eliminated following US airstrikes in al-Shabaab stronghold town in southern Somalia.
In a statement, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) on Thursday said it killed eight al-Shabaab commanders allegedly linked to the manufacturing of explosives.
The mission said the two strikes in the vicinity of Jilib targeted terrorists “who were known to play important roles in producing explosives for al-Shabab, to include vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices.”
According to the AFRICOM’s “initial assessment,” the militants “were known to play important roles in producing explosives for al-Shabaab”.
“We will continue to apply pressure to the al-Shabaab network. They continue to undermine Somali security, and need to be contained and degraded,” US Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said in the same statement.
According to AFRICOM, al-Shabab has conducted about 45 vehicle-borne bombings in the capital of Mogadishu alone since 2018, collectively resulting in the death of more than 400 people.
The Command assessed that no civilians were injured or killed in the strikes.
The strikes come just days after President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to remove the majority of the 700 U.S. military troops stationed in Somalia.
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