US airstrike in Somalia kills 2 members of al-Shabaab, US says

By CNN Newsource

Published October 25, 2022 5:42 AM

By Barbara Starr and Shawna Mizelle, CNN

The US military conducted an airstrike over the weekend against the al-Shabaab terror group in Somalia, which was attacking Somali National Army forces near Buulobarde, US Africa Command said.

The strike occurred about 218 kilometers north-northwest of Mogadishu and the initial assessment is that it “killed two attacking al-Shabaab terrorists,” US Africa Command said in a news release, adding that no civilians were hurt in the strike.

Sunday’s strike is the latest US military operation in Somalia. Earlier this month, a US airstrike killed an al-Shabaab militant leader, and in late September, another strike killed 27 members of the terrorist group.

The US has provided ongoing support to the Somali government since President Joe Biden approved a Pentagon request to redeploy US troops to the area in an attempt to counter the terrorist group in May. The approval to send fewer than 500 troops was a reversal of former President Donald Trump‘s decision to withdraw all US troops from the country in 2020.