The US military killed 24 fighters from al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa in an airstrike that targeted an “encampment” in central Somalia on Jan. 30. The strike is the ninth against Shabaab in 2019.
“U.S. forces conducted an airstrike near a terrorist encampment location in the vicinity of Shebeeley [Ceel Barde], Hiran Region, Somalia, on January 30, 2019,” US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced today. AFRICOM estimated that 24 Shabaab fighters and zero civilians were killed in the operation.
AFRICOM said the operation “is part of a larger effort to support the Somali National Army (SNA) as it increases pressure on the terrorist network and its recruiting efforts in the region.”
AFRICOM also acknowledged that Shabaab continues to operate “terrorist training camps” and “safe havens” in the country.
“In particular, the group uses portions of southern and central Somalia to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, extort the local populace to fund its operations, and shelter radical terrorists,” AFRICOM noted.