By David Ochieng Mbewa
Saturday December 26, 2020
FILE PHOTO: Two US Army drones sit near a hangar at an overseas base. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
The U.S. military said it disrupted “nefarious” activity by the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab following an airstrike on its compound near Saakow in southern Somalia on Thursday.
A statement by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the airstrike damaged the compound forcing several Al-Shabaab militants to flee.
“Efforts to disrupt enemy operations, as well as monitor and apply pressure to the al-Shabaab network continue,” AFRICOM said in a statement.
AFRICOM added that its initial assessment showed no civilians were injured or killed as a result of the operation.
AFRICOM maintained it will continue to work with international and African partners to ensure long-term security in Somalia.
“U.S. Africa Command continues to maintain a sharp focus on East African threats. Al-Shabaab seeks to not only destroy governance and security in Somalia, but target innocent civilians in Kenya and elsewhere. We will continue to monitor and maintain pressure to the network,” AFRICOM director of intelligence U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Heidi Berg said.
Al-Shabaab has waged a war against the Somali central government for several years in an attempt to impose strict Islamic law in the Horn of Africa nation.