US air strikes in Somalia killed an estimated 37 fighters from Al-Shabaab, according to the US military, which said the operation took place on Monday near Debatscile.
In a statement released on 21 November 2018, Africa Command said the two strikes were carried out in support of the Federal Government of Somalia and that they did not injure or kill any civilians.
The first strike, described by the military as a “precision strike,” killed 27 militants in what it called a “planned and deliberate action.” A second strike followed and killed 10 more fighters.
The US military said the attacks were part of its effort to help Somalia continue to weaken Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda affiliate that has been trying to overthrow the internationally backed government in Mogadishu.
Last month, the US military said it had killed 60 Shabaab fighters in a single air strike, which it described as the largest since an air raid on one of the group’s training camps in November 2017 killed around 100 fighters.
Air assaults and missile strikes have increased in recent months against the militant group, which is fighting alongside an African Union-backed government in Somalia.
