U.S. Air Strikes Kill 62 Militants In Somalia
The U.S. military said on Monday it had killed 62 militants in six air strikes on Saturday and Sunday in the vicinity of Gandarsh in Somalia’s south-central Banaadir province.
The military’s Africa Command (Africom) said four strikes were carried out on Saturday, killing 34 militants, and two more on Sunday, which killed 28.
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“Africa Command and our Somali partners conducted these air strikes to prevent terrorists from using remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire and recruit for future attacks,” Africom said in a statement.
The air strikes, among the deadliest this year, did not kill any civilians. “At this time we assess these air strikes did not injure or kill any civilians,” the statement said.
The U.S. carries out regular air strikes in Somalia in support of a UN-backed government there, which has been fighting against an al Shabaab insurgency for years.
In November, the U.S. military said it had killed 37 militants.
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“Alongside our Somali and international partners, we are committed to preventing al-Shabaab from taking advantage of safe havens from which they can build capacity and attack the people of Somalia,” the statement read.
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Reuters/NAN
