US airstrike in Somalia kills 2 al-Shabaab militants

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said Wednesday that it had conducted an airstrike against the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Shabaab group in southern Somalia, killing two militants.

The airstrike took place north of the port city of Kismayo, the capital of Lower Jubba, and they were targeted after the group attacked a Somali patrol, according to AFRICOM.

“In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike on Al-Shabaab insurgents after they attacked a Somali patrol northwest of Kismayo, Lower Juba Province, Somalia on Sept. 17. At this time, it is assessed the airstrike killed two (2) terrorists,” AFRICOM said in a statement posted on Twitter.

No civilians were injured or killed as a result of this airstrike, the statement added.

Separately, on Tuesday, Somali National Army Commander Gen. Odawa Yusuf Rage said that the army had killed the al-Shabaab “governor” of the central region of Hiran alongside another senior militant.

Meanwhile, the Jubaland State of Somalia forces said that it had killed more than 15 al-Shabaab fighters in the Lower Jubba region in an operation on Tuesday.