US airstrike in Somali kills 35 al-Shabaab militants

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - An airstrike killed 35 al-Shabaab militants in Somalia's Hiran province, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said Monday.

The airstrike was conducted 20 miles east of the city of Beledweyne in central Somalia on Sunday.

The bombing was a part of an effort toward targeting al-Shabaab and reducing its strength in the region, as well as supporting the Somali National Army.

"This airstrike targeted armed al-Shabaab militants as they were transitioning between locations in a rural area," AFRICOM said in a statement.

The strike comes a month after a U.S. airstrike killed at least 24 fighters in Shebeeley village of the central Hiran region. A few days later another strike in Somalia’s lower Shabelle region killed 13 fighters, according to AFRICOM.

"We continue to support our Somali partners, especially when their operations provide us opportunities to take the fight to Al Shabaab as an element of our partnered strategy," Gen. Gregg Olson, operations director of AFRICOM, said in a statement.

*Kasim Ileri contributed to the story