The U.S. military reported conducting airstrikes in Somalia last weekend, resulting in the deaths of three al-Shabaab militants linked to al-Qaeda.
The strikes, carried out at Somalia’s Government’s request, occurred approximately 35 kilometres northeast of Kismayo.
The U.S. Africa Command, based in Stuttgart, Germany, stated there were no civilian casualties.
Al-Shabaab, the largest al-Qaeda network globally, has been engaged in a 16-year insurgency against the Western-backed Somali government.
The militants pose a threat to U.S. forces, as demonstrated by past attacks on a Kenyan military base in 2020.
The AU peacekeeping force is undergoing a phased withdrawal, aiming to hand over security responsibilities to Somali forces in the coming months. Somalia welcomed the recent lifting of a three-decade arms embargo by the U.N. Security Council to aid in the modernisation of its forces.
