The U.S. military command in Africa has said it conducted an airstrike in central Somalia that killed five Al-Shabaab militants.
In a press statement, July 20, AFRCOM said the “collective self-defense” airstrike occurred July 19 in a remote area near Hareeri Kalle. The area is approximately 15 kilometers south of Galcad.
AFRICOM said the strike was in support of Somali National Army forces fighting al-Shabab. The strike came at the request of the federal government of Somalia, the statement added.
AFRICOM said it will continue to assess the results of Wednesday’s operation and will provide additional information “as appropriate.”
The US military has been targeting the militants through airstrikes in recent years.
The Somali government has been fighting al-Shabab militants since 2006 and has removed them from major cities. However, the group still controls vast areas in the countryside.
In August 2022, the Somali army, supported by self-mobilized local fighters, launched a military offensive against Al-Shabaab. The offensive has seized crucial parts of central Somalia from the armed militant group.
The militants have struck back, raiding military bases and inflicting heavy losses on government forces in the south and central regions. The group has also expanded its attacks to Kenya and Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, Hussein Sheikh-Ali, the national security adviser for Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, told reporters this week the Somali government was hoping to get a financial boost in December. This is when a fundraising conference for the Somali army will be held in New York.
Ali said six countries — the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar — as well as the European Union will co-sponsor with Somalia an international donor conference for the Somali security sector.
“We are expecting something that would take Somalia up to 2027. This is the year when we believe Somalia can take over to fund our security forces completely,” Ali said.
The Somali government is currently aided by an African Union force. Independently operating Ethiopian forces have also joined the fight against the Al-Shabab.
The United States, Turkey, Eritrea and the United Arab Emirates are among the nations training the Somali National Army.
