Somali forces stand guard outside a hotel near the presidential palace in Mogadishu last year after a Shabaab attack

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Washington (AFP)

US forces have conducted an air strike in Somalia that killed 35 Al-Shabaab militants, officials said Monday, in the latest in a string of attacks against the Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Sunday's strike took place in the Hiran region of central Somalia and targeted armed Shabaab fighters "as they were transitioning between locations in a rural area" and trying to "mass their forces," the US military's Africa Command said in a statement.

"At this time, it is assessed this air strike killed 35 terrorists," the statement read.

Although the military did not specify, such air strikes in Somalia are typically carried out by armed drones.

The Pentagon has increased the rate of strikes in Somalia in recent years, partly because President Donald Trump loosened constraints on when the US military can take action against alleged terrorists.

Shabaab fighters were pushed out of Somalia's capital in 2011, and subsequently from other towns and cities, by African Union troops.

But the Islamists still hold sway in large parts of the countryside.

They launch regular gun and bomb attacks on government, military and civilian targets in Mogadishu as well as ambushes on military convoys and outposts.

In one strike last month, Africa Command said it killed 52 Somali militants.

In December, the US military said it had killed 62 Shabaab militants during six air strikes in the Horn of Africa nation.

But Africa Command head General Thomas Waldhauser this month told US lawmakers that air strikes alone would not stop Shabaab, and he called on Somalia's army to take more responsibility in the fight.

© 2019 AFP</s>A United States airstrike in Somalia has killed 35 suspected al-Shabaab militants, the U.S. Africa Command said on Monday.

The strike in central Hiran region on Sunday “interrupted an al-Shabaab attempt to mass their forces,’’ the U.S. disclosed in a statement.

U.S. forces are partnering African Union troops (AMISOM) and the Somali National Security Forces in combined counterterrorism operations in the troubled East African nation.

Al-Shabaab is seeking to establish a fundamentalist Islamist state in Somalia.

They regularly launch attacks on government buildings, hotels and restaurants in the volatile Horn of Africa nation.

The group is affiliated with the international al-Qaeda terrorist network.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Monday that a recent air strike in central Somalia killed 35 al Shabaab fighters.

The United States carries out regular air strikes in Somalia in support of a United Nations-backed government there, which has been fighting against an al Shabaab insurgency for years.

In a statement, U.S. Africa Command said the strike took place on Sunday near Beledweyne, Hiran Region in Somalia.

“This air strike targeted armed al Shabaab militants as they were transitioning between locations in a rural area,” the statement added.

While the pace of strikes has increased recently, it is unclear what lasting impact, if any, the strikes are having on the militant group.

Al Shabaab wants to overthrow the weak, U.N.-backed Somali government and impose strict Islamic law.</s>The US military announced Monday that an airstrike in Somalia killed 35 Al Shabaab fighters on Sunday.

That means at least 180 fighters from the al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group have been killed in 22 airstrikes so far in 2019, according to figures released by US Africa Command, which oversees US military operations on the continent.

The latest strike took place about 23 miles east of Beledweyne, Hiran Region. US Africa Command said the airstrike targeted the fighters as they “were transitioning between locations in a rural area.”

“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,” said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Gregg Olson, US Africa Command director of operations, in a statement.

“In the case of this strike, we interrupted an Al Shabaab attempt to mass their forces. Precision strikes eliminated a potential threat to our partners and to the people of Somalia well before the terrorists ever got themselves organized,” he added.

The US military currently assesses that no civilians were killed in the strike.

The Department of Defense estimates there were 3,000 to 7,000 Al Shabaab fighters and 70 to 250 ISIS fighters in Somalia as of August 2018.

Sunday’s airstrike follows four other strikes conducted over the weekend that killed two additional fighters.

There has been a significant increase in airstrikes in Somalia by the US since President Donald Trump authorized the US military to carry out precision strikes targeting Al Shabaab in March 2017 in an effort to bolster the Somali government. Prior to that the US military was authorized to carry out airstrikes only in self-defense of advisers on the ground.

In 2018, the US conducted 47 precision airstrikes against Al Shabaab militants. In 2017, the US conducted 35 airstrikes, and in 2016 it conducted 15.

The US has approximately 500 troops in Somalia, primarily in an advisory role.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Monday that a recent air strike in central Somalia killed 35 al Shabaab fighters.

The United States carries out regular air strikes in Somalia in support of a United Nations-backed government there, which has been fighting against an al Shabaab insurgency for years.

In a statement, U.S. Africa Command said the strike took place on Sunday near Beledweyne, Hiran Region in Somalia.

"This air strike targeted armed al Shabaab militants as they were transitioning between locations in a rural area," the statement added.

While the pace of strikes has increased recently, it is unclear what lasting impact, if any, the strikes are having on the militant group.

Al Shabaab wants to overthrow the weak, U.N.-backed Somali government and impose strict Islamic law.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.</s>NAIROBI (Reuters) - A U.S. air strike in central Somalia on Monday killed 20 al Shabaab fighters, the U.S. Africa Command said on Tuesday.

The United States carries out regular air strikes in Somalia in support of a United Nations-backed government there, which has been fighting against an al Shabaab insurgency for years.

The Africa Command (Africom) said U.S. forces targeted an al Shabaab training camp near Shebeeley, Hiran Region, that was used to stage attacks.

“It is assessed this airstrike killed 20 terrorists and destroyed one vehicle,” it said.

No independent confirmation was available.

While the pace of strikes has increased recently, it is unclear what lasting impact, if any, the strikes are having on the militant group.

Al Shabaab wants to overthrow the weak, U.N.-backed Somali government and impose strict Islamic law.</s>US military says airstrike kills 20 al-Shabab in Somalia

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The United States military says it has killed 20 fighters from the al-Shabab extremist group with an airstrike in central Somalia, a day after another airstrike in the area killed 35.

The U.S. military command for the African continent says the attack occurred on Monday near Shebeeley in the Hiran region and targeted a training camp used as a staging area for attacks.

The U.S. has dramatically increased airstrikes against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, Africa's deadliest extremist group, since President Donald Trump took office.

The U.S. has carried out 23 strikes this year.

Authorities and experts acknowledge that it will take more than airstrikes to defeat the extremist group, which holds large parts of rural central and southern Somalia and carries out deadly suicide attacks in the capital, Mogadishu.</s>The United States military says it has killed 35 fighters from the al-Shabab extremist group with an airstrike in central Somalia, not far from the Ethiopian border.

In a statement Monday, the U.S. military command for the African continent said the airstrike took place on Sunday about 23 miles east of Beledweyne in the Hiran region and targeted the fighters as they were traveling in a rural area.

US SAYS 4 AIRSTRIKES IN SOMALIA KILL 2 AL-SHABAB FIGHTERS

The U.S. has dramatically increased airstrikes against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, the deadliest extremist group in Africa, since President Donald Trump took office.

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Authorities and experts acknowledge that it will take more than airstrikes to defeat the extremist group, which continues to hold large parts of rural central and southern Somalia and carry out deadly attacks in the capital, Mogadishu.</s>JOHANNESBURG — The United States military says it has killed 35 fighters from the al-Shabab extremist group with an airstrike in central Somalia, not far from the Ethiopian border.

In a statement Monday, the U.S. military command for the African continent said the airstrike took place on Sunday about 23 miles (37 kilometers) east of Beledweyne in the Hiran region and targeted the fighters as they were traveling in a rural area.

The U.S. has dramatically increased airstrikes against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, the deadliest extremist group in Africa, since President Donald Trump took office.

Authorities and experts acknowledge that it will take more than airstrikes to defeat the extremist group, which continues to hold large parts of rural central and southern Somalia and carry out deadly attacks in the capital, Mogadishu.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>The United States military says that its latest airstrike in Somalia has killed 35 fighters with the al-Shabab extremist group not far from the Ethiopian border.

The US military command for the African continent said Sunday's airstrike targeted the al-Qaeda-linked fighters as they were travelling in a rural area about 40 kilometres east of Beledweyne in central Hiran region.

The US has dramatically increased airstrikes against al-Shabab since President Donald Trump took office. Its military has carried out 22 such strikes this year, including four on Saturday that eliminated checkpoints used by al-Shabab to collect taxes to fund its violent campaign to establish an Islamic state in the long-chaotic Horn of Africa nation.

The US carried out nearly 50 strikes in Somalia in 2018. A small number of strikes have also targeted fighters pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group, who have been warring with al-Shabab in recent months.

The US military is one of several security actors in Somalia, along with a multinational African Union mission and troops from Kenya and Ethiopia.

The United States says it acts in coordination with Somalia's government, whose military is expected to take over primary responsibility for the country's security over the next few years.

The African Union mission has begun a step-by-step withdrawal of forces, but some in the US military and elsewhere warned that Somali forces were not yet prepared.

A United Nations panel of experts monitoring sanctions on Somalia has described the country's troops as largely poorly equipped and underpaid, conditions that cause some personnel to sell their weapons or uniforms for a little cash.
United States Africa Command says a U.S. airstrike has killed 35 al-Shabaab militants in Somalia's central Hiran administrative region.