Airstrike Kills 5 Said to be al-Shabab in Central Somalia

By Xinhua 

July 21, 2023

Somalia and the United States said Thursday that their forces killed five al-Shabab militants in an airstrike conducted in a remote area near Hareeri Kalle, central Somalia.

The Somali government and the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement that the self-defense strike which was carried out Wednesday at the request of the Somali government was in support of Somali National Army (SNA) forces who were engaged by the terrorist organization.

“U.S. Africa Command will continue to assess the results of this operation and will provide additional information as appropriate. Specific details about the units involved and assets used will not be released in order to ensure operations security,” the AFRICOM said in a statement.

The latest airstrike came amid intensified onslaught against al-Shabab since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an all-out war against the militants last year. The airstrikes have largely targeted al-Shabab figureheads who are based in southern and central Somalia where the group still maintains a strong grip in some regions.