US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said two airstrikes in Debatscile, Somalia, killed at least 37 al Shabaab militants on Monday, 2018-11-21. The command said the operation was carried out with the support of the Federal Government of Somalia.
In its statement, AFRICOM said the first strike killed 27 militants. It described the attack as a planned and deliberate precision strike, and said the second strike was part of the same operation against the militant group.
The command said no civilians were injured or killed. It added that the strikes were meant to reduce al Shabaab’s ability to plan attacks, disrupt its networks and limit its movement in the region.
AFRICOM also said the group continues to use parts of southern and central Somalia to direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, extort local communities and shelter radical terrorists.
The agency said it remains committed to working with partners to stop militants from exploiting safe havens in Somalia. It also said responsibility for long-term security in Somalia will be transferred from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to the Federal Government of Somalia and its member states.
The development came months after President Donald Trump told President Uhuru Kenyatta at the White House in August that the US government would strengthen efforts to rid East Africa of al Shabaab.
Read: Security and trade tops Uhuru, Trump meet at the White House
AFRICOM is responsible for military relations with nations and regional organisations in Africa.
