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Feedback 0 / 5</s>At least 13 al-Shabab fighters, have been killed in an air raid outside the Somali capital, Mogadishu, the US army said.

In a statement released on Saturday, US Africom said that the attack happened in Gandarshe, 48km south of Mogadishu, on Friday.

"To support the Federal Government of Somalia's continued efforts to degrade al-Shabab, US Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabab fighters in the vicinity of Gandarshe, Lower Shebelle Region, Somalia, on February 1, 2019," the statement said.

"US Africa Command currently assesses this airstrike killed thirteen (13) militants. At this time, it was assessed no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike."

This is the 10th attack by the United States this year in the Horn of Africa country. Last year, it carried out at least 48 attacks in Somalia, killing more than 330 fighters, according to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

Al-Shabab is an al-Qaeda-linked armed group fighting to overthrow the country's Western-backed government. The group regularly stages attacks against the Somali military and against troops from the African Union-mandated peacekeeping force AMISOM.

On Thursday, an air attack by the US army killed 24 al-Shabab fighters in neighbouring Hiran region.

On Saturday, an al-Shabab suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle at a checkpoint manned by Ethiopian troops in the southern town of Bardhere.

Local security officials told AFP news agency that four Ethiopian troops were killed in the blast.</s>MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A suicide car bomb exploded outside a military base for Ethiopian soldiers in southern Somalia on Saturday, leaving an unspecified number of casualties, a police official said.

Islamist group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the assault and said it had killed 16 Ethiopian soldiers, although the claim could not be independently verified.

A local elder who witnessed the attack told Reuters the explosion had killed 10 people including soldiers and civilians. “The mini bus was very dusty, it must have come from a far region, it was fired (on) as it started speeding up,” he said.

Police officer Major Nur Abdullahi told Reuters from the town of Bardheere where the attack occurred that the vehicle involved was a mini bus carrying vegetables as a disguise.

“It was fired (on) before it reached the gate. We understand there are casualties,” the officer said.

Al Shabaab is fighting to topple Somalia’s western-backed central government and establish its own rule, based on a strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

The group regularly stages attacks against the Somali military and against troops from the African Union-mandated peacekeeping force AMISOM. Ethiopia is one of the countries contributing troops to AMISOM, alongside Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and others.

Somalia has been gripped by violence since the early 1990s after the toppling of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.</s>Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group.

To support the Federal Government of Somalia's continued efforts to degrade al-Shabaab, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike near a terrorist encampment location in the vicinity of Shebeeley, Hiran Region, Somalia, on January 30, 2019.

This precision airstrike is part of a larger effort to support the Somali National Army (SNA) as it increases pressure on the terrorist network and its recruiting efforts in the region.

“We are partnered with the Federal Government of Somalia, and other international partners, to protect the people of Somalia,” said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Gregg Olson, U.S. Africa Command director of operations. “Precision strikes are part of our strategy. Strikes continue to help our partners make progress in their fight against the transnational terrorists who oppose peace in Somalia and in the region.”

The SNA and its partners will continue to effectively target terrorist training camps and assessed safe havens in order to deny al-Shabaab the ability to build capacity and attack the people of Somalia. In particular, the group uses portions of southern and central Somalia to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, extort the local populace to fund its operations, and shelter radical terrorists.

U.S. Africa Command currently assesses this airstrike killed twenty-four militants.

At this time, it was assessed no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.

U.S. Africa Command will continue to work with its partners to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia from AMISOM to the Federal Government of Somalia and its Member States, and U.S. forces will use all effective and appropriate methods to protect the Somali people, including partnered military counter-terror operations with the Federal Government of Somalia, AMISOM and Somali National Army forces.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Regional Media Hub.</s>Mogadishu, Feb 3 (IANS) The US army on Saturday said its forces conducted an airstrike in Somalia on Friday, killing 13 Al-Shabaab terrorists.

The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement that no civilians were injured or killed in the strike which targetted the militants in the vicinity of Gandarshe in Lower Shebelle region, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the statement, the extremist group has previously used Gandarshe, about 48 km from Mogadishu, as a staging area for attacks including vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices that threaten the capital and its residents.

On December 15 and 16, 2018, six US airstrikes killed 62 Al-Shabaab militants near Gandarshe, who according to AFRICOM were preparing for an attack on a Somali government military base in the region, and on Wednesday a US airstrike killed 24 militants in neighbouring Hiran region.

The US strikes have largely targetted Al-Shabaab figureheads based in southern and central Somalia where the group still maintains a strong grip in some areas.</s>, NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 1- Another United States forces airstrike targeting Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia has killed 24 militants.

The Thursday’s attack in Shebeeley, Hiran Region comes barely two weeks after another deadly airstrike killed 52 terrorists.

According to the United States Africa command, the precision airstrike is part of a larger effort to support the Somali National Army as it increases pressure on the terrorist network and its recruiting efforts in the region.

“We are partnered with the Federal Government of Somalia, and other international partners, to protect the people of Somalia,” said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Gregg Olson, U.S. Africa Command director of operations.

“Precision strikes are part of our strategy. Strikes continue to help our partners make progress in their fight against the transnational terrorists who oppose peace in Somalia and in the region.”

After the 14 Riverside attack on January 15 that claimed 21 lives of them an American, the Al-Qaeda linked militants claimed responsibility saying they were revenging against the US for moving their embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

“U.S. Africa Command will continue to work with its partners to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia from AMISOM to the Federal Government of Somalia and its Member States, and U.S. forces will use all effective and appropriate methods to protect the Somali people, including partnered military counter-terror operations with the Federal Government of Somalia, AMISOM and Somali National Army forces,” reads the statement.

Over the last five months, US Forces similar air strikes have killed hundreds of Al-Shabaab terrorists.</s>A suicide car bomb exploded outside a military base for Ethiopian soldiers in southern Somalia on Saturday, leaving an unspecified number of casualties, a police official said.

Islamist group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the assault and said it had killed 16 Ethiopian soldiers, although the claim could not be independently verified.

A local elder who witnessed the attack told Reuters the explosion had killed 10 people including soldiers and civilians. "The mini bus was very dusty, it must have come from a far region, it was fired (on) as it started speeding up," he said.

Police officer Major Nur Abdullahi told Reuters from the town of Bardheere where the attack occurred that the vehicle involved was a mini bus carrying vegetables as a disguise.</s>Washington has claimed that the capabilities of the militant sect al-Shabaab have been degraded thanks to US airstrikes coordinated with a series of ground offensive by Somali troops.To support the federal government of Somalia’s continued efforts to degrade the group, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike near a militant encampment located in the vicinity of Shebeeley, Hiran Region last Wednesday.

This precision airstrike is part of a larger effort to support the Somali National Army (SNA) as it increases pressure on al-Shabaab and its recruiting efforts in the region.

“We are partnered with the Federal Government of Somalia, and other international partners, to protect the people of Somalia,” Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Gregg Olson, U.S. Africa Command director of operations was quoted in a statement from Washington on Friday.

“Precision strikes are part of our strategy. Strikes continue to help our partners make progress in their fight against the transnational terrorists who oppose peace in Somalia and in the region” he said.

The US said Somali troops and their partners will continue to effectively target terrorist training camps and assessed safe havens in order to deny al-Shabaab the ability to build their capacity to launch attacks in Somalia.

Washington said, the group uses portions of southern and central Somalia to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, extort the local populace to fund its operations, and shelter radical terrorists.

At this time, it was assessed no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.

U.S. Africa Command will continue to work with its partners to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia from AMISOM to the government of Somalia and its member states, and U.S. forces will use all effective and appropriate methods to protect the Somali people, including partnered military counter-terror operations, it added.</s>, NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 1 – Another airstrike by American forces targeting Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia has killed 24 militants.

The attack that occurred on Thursday in Shebeeley, Hiran Region comes barely two weeks after another deadly airstrike killed 52 terrorists in Jilib area, in the Middle Juba region.

According to the United States Africa command, the precision airstrike is part of a larger effort to support the Somali National Army as it increases pressure on the terrorist network and its recruiting efforts in the region.

After the 14 Riverside attack on January 15 that claimed 21 lives of them an American, the Al-Qaeda linked militants claimed responsibility saying they were revenging against the US for moving their embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.</s>Bosaso (Somalia) – A suicide bomber blew himself up in a military camp in the Somali town of Galkayo on Saturday, killing four officers, officials said, an attack claimed by the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group.

 People gather near burnt vehicles a day after a truck bomb exploded in the centre of Mogadishu on October 15, 2017.

A truck bomb exploded outside a hotel at a busy junction in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on October 14, 2017 causing widespread devastation that left at least 20 dead, with the toll likely to rise. / AFP PHOTO File Photo

The dead included a military commander and two colonels, the town’s mayor, Hirsi Barre, told Reuters.

The camp houses a force made up of soldiers from the country’s semi-autonomous regions of Puntland and Galmudug who have been integrated into the federal army under efforts to unite the fractured country.

Al Shabaab’s military operation spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, said it killed five people in the attack.

Al Shabaab is fighting to topple Somalia’s central government and establish its own rule based on its interpretation of Islamic law.

Since withdrawing from Mogadishu in 2011, the group has lost control of most of Somalia’s cities and towns.

It still retains a strong presence in regions outside the capital. (Reuters/NAN)

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Two people are killed and at least five others injured by a suicide car bombing that targeted an African Union Mission base in Somalia. Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack.