Somalia: U.S. airstrike near Mogadishu kills 12 militants

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A U.S. air strike against al Shabaab militants in Somalia killed 12 members of the Al Qaeda-linked Islamist group, the U.S. military said in a statement on Friday, Garowe Online reports.

The strike, which took place on Thursday, on May 31 in undisclosed location, about 30 miles southwest of Mogadishu, was coordinated with Somalia’s government, according to the U.S. Africa Command.

AFRICOM said it did not assess that any civilians had been killed in the strike, which was the 15 raid on Al-Shabaab and pro-Islamic State fighters in the Horn of Africa country this year.

Al Shabaab was not immediately reachable for comment.

The United States has ramped up operations in the Horn of Africa country since last year after President Donald Trump has granted AFRICOM broader authority to carry out strikes in Somalia.

Al Shabaab has been able to carry out deadly bombings despite losing most of its territory to African Union peacekeepers supporting the Somali government.

GAROWE ONLINE