U.S. Airstrike Kills 12 Al-Shabaab Fighters In Somalia

A U.S. airstrike in Somalia against the militant group, Al-Shabaab, killed 12 fighters, the U.S. Africa Command said on Friday.

The airstrike took place about 50 kilometres south-west of the capital, Mogadishu and was coordinated with the Somali Government, the statement said, adding that no civilian was killed.

Al-Shabaab regularly launches attacks on government buildings, hotels and restaurants in the volatile nation in the Horn of Africa.

It also targets Somali and African Union troops.

Affiliated with the al-Qaeda terrorist network, the group Al-Shabaab seeks to establish an Islamist state in Somalia.

Since 2017, the U.S. has step-up supports to Somali Government and an African Union peacekeeping force of some 20,000 troops.

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dpa/NAN