Monday August 28, 2023
Kismayo (HOL) - The U.S. military command in Africa has said it conducted an airstrike in southern Somalia that killed 13 al-Shabab militants.
In a press statement Sunday, AFRICOM said the "collective self-defense" airstrike occurred on Augusto 26 in the vicinity of Seiera, Somalia, approximately 45 kilometers northwest of Kismayo.
AFRICOM said the strike was in support of Somali National Army forces fighting al-Shabab. The statement added that the strike came at the request of the federal government of Somalia.
The U.S. airstrike comes a day after the al-Shabab militants attacked a Somali army base in the central region of Somalia, where several soldiers and commanders were feared dead.
The attack took place in Owsweyne, a recently liberated village located approximately 20 km from the Elbur district in the Galgadud region. Although the government stated that the forces successfully repulsed the attack, they refrained from commenting on the casualty figures.
Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a close friend of President Mohamud, has called for an independent investigation into the terrorist attack in Owsweyne.