The U.S. military said Tuesday it conducted an airstrike in southern Somalia that killed three al-Shabab militants.
The U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, said it made a “collective self-defense” airstrike against al-Shabab on March 10 at the request of Somalia’s federal government.
AFRICOM said the initial post-strike assessment indicates that no civilians were harmed as a result of the strike, which occurred in the vicinity of Ugunji in Lower Shabelle region, about 71 kilometers (44 miles) southwest of Mogadishu.
It’s the fifth airstrike by the U.S. military in Somalia this year. AFRICOM conducted 18 such airstrikes in 2023.
The statement did not say whether the militants targeted were foot soldiers or al-Shabab commanders. U.S. airstrikes have been targeting both.
Meanwhile, Somali government forces this week retreated from two towns captured from al-Shabab late last year, according to multiple local sources and military officials.
It’s unclear why the troops vacated Ba’adweyne and Amara in the central Galmudug state. Somali government officials have not commented on the pullback. Al-Shabab said their fighters have reentered both towns.
VOA.