Five al-Shabab Fighters Reportedly Killed in Airstrike Coordinated by the Pentagon

By Xinhua 

Jun 5, 2022

Somalian and U.S. forces conducted an airstrike in the southern region Friday, killing five al-Shabab fighters, officials confirmed Saturday.

The U.S. Africa Command (Africom) said its forces in collaboration with the Somalian forces, conducted the strike against al-Shabab members after the insurgents attacked partner forces in a remote location near Beer Xaani.

“The command’s initial assessment is that five al-Shabab terrorists were killed in action and that no civilians were injured or killed given the remote nature of where this engagement occurred,” Africom said in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

Somalia and partner forces are expected to increase military raids into territories formerly controlled by al-Shabab after U.S. President Joe Biden in May approved the redeployment of troops to Somalia in an effort to counter the terrorist group.

The strikes have in the recent past largely targeted al-Shabab figureheads based in southern Somalia where the group still maintains a strong grip in some regions.