US airstrike kills 13 al-Shabaab militants in Somalia

By Hassan Istiila

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - The U.S. forces carried out an airstrike in southern Somalia on Dec. 24, killing 13 al-Shabaab fighters, the military said.

In a statement, the U.S. Africa Command said the strike was conducted in coordination with the Somali government to help the country address threats while targeting al-Shabaab’s safe havens.

"Together with other international partners, the United States is committed to providing Somali, AMISOM [African Union Mission to Somalia] and SNSF [Somali National Security Forces] with support in the fight against violent extremist organizations," it said.

Al-Shabaab has lost control of most of Somalia’s cities and towns since it was pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011. But it retains a strong presence in parts of the south and center and carries out gun and bomb attacks.