Image copyright AFP Image caption The jihadist group al-Shabab seeks to overthrow Somalia's central government

A US special forces soldier has been killed in an attack by suspected al-Shabab militants in southern Somalia, officials say.

Four other US soldiers and a Somali soldier were wounded in what appears to have been an ambush north of the port of Kismayo, US defence officials added.

The American forces were operating alongside Somali troops.

It was the first known US combat death in Africa since an ambush in Niger in October, the New York Times reports.

US President Donald Trump sent his condolences in a tweet.

Militants launched the attack using small arms and mortar fire against a small outpost, defence officials quoted by the Times said.

The US military says its forces operate on an "advise and assist" mission with the Somali National Army.

Traditionally, US presidents have been wary of intervening in Somalia since 18 special forces soldiers died fighting militias in Mogadishu in 1993, a battle dramatised in the film Black Hawk Down.

However, President Donald Trump has expanded military operations against al-Shabab, the al-Qaeda affiliate there.

Al-Shabab was forced out of the capital, Mogadishu, in August 2011 following an offensive spearheaded by African Union (AU) troops, and left Kismayo in September 2012.

But it still has a strong presence in regions around the capital.

The US casualties are the first confirmed in Somalia since May 2017 when one soldier was killed and two others wounded in a gun battle with al-Shabab west of Mogadishu.

That was the first confirmed US combat death in the country since the Black Hawk Down incident.</s>US military: 1 US special forces soldier killed, 4 wounded in gun battle in Somalia

WASHINGTON (AP) — US military: 1 US special forces soldier killed, 4 wounded in gun battle in Somalia.</s>An American special operations soldier was killed Friday in an attack in southern Somalia that also wounded four US military personnel along with a Somali soldier, a US defense official told AFP.

The official did not immediately know who had carried out the attack, but the US is supporting Somali partners as they target Islamic Al-Qaeda militants aligned with the Shabaab group.

“There was an attack in Jubaland, Somalia and it resulted in one US killed, four US wounded and one partner wounded,” the official said.

American forces under the US military’s Africa Command are partnering with African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali national security forces in counterterrorism operations, and have conducted frequent raids and drone strikes on Shabaab training camps throughout Somalia.

Last year, a member of the Navy SEALs was killed in a nighttime attack in Somalia, marking the first US military combat death there since the infamous events of “Black Hawk Down” in 1993, when 18 American servicemen died in what is called the Battle of Mogadishu.

Since 2007, Al-Shabaab has been fighting to overthrow the internationally backed government in Somalia.</s>A US special forces soldier has been killed in an attack by suspected al-Shabab militants in south-western Somalia, officials say.

Four other US soldiers and a Somali soldier were wounded in what appears to have been an ambush near the town of Jamaame, US defence officials added.

It was the first known US combat death in Africa since an ambush in Niger in October, the New York Times reported.

Militants launched the attack using small arms and mortar fire against a small outpost, defence officials quoted by the Times said.

The US military says its forces operate on an "advise and assist" mission with the Somali National Army.

Traditionally, US presidents have been wary of intervening in Somalia since 18 special forces soldiers died fighting militias in Mogadishu in 1993, a battle dramatised in the film Black Hawk Down.

However, President Donald Trump has expanded military operation against al-Shabab, the al-Qaeda affiliate there.</s>Somalia’s Islamist group al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for an attack in which a U.S. commando was killed and four others were wounded when they came under fire in the country.

The U.S. special operations forces were fighting alongside about 800 troops from the Somali National Security Forces and Kenyan Defence Forces when they were attacked late on Friday by mortars and small arms fire.

“We attacked a military base … killed one U.S. soldier, two Kenyan soldiers and nine Somali soldiers from Jubbaland state. We also injured four U.S. soldiers,” Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters on late Friday.

He said the attack was in the southern town of Kismayo.

In a statement, the U.S. military said on Friday one local soldier was also wounded in the attack that also involved Somali and Kenyan forces.

The troops had been on a mission to clear al Shabaab from contested areas as well as villages the militants controlled, “and establish a permanent combat outpost” to expand the reach of the Somali state, according to the U.S. statement.

Kenyan military spokesman David Obonyo told Reuters that its forces were not involved in any operations in Somalia on Friday

About 500 U.S. troops are deployed in Somalia.

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

Since being pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011, the group has lost control of most of Somalia’s cities and towns, but it retains a strong presence in regions outside the capital.</s>US soldier killed in al-Shabab ambush in Somalia

One U.S. special forces soldier was killed and four others wounded Friday in an attack by al-Shabab militants in southern Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (Africom) announced in a press release.

A "partner force" service member was also wounded, the statement added.

Members of the Somali National Security Forces (SNSF), Kenyan Defense Force (KDF) and U.S. forces were conducting a joint operation in the city of Jubaland when they came under mortar and small-arms fire.

"A large force consisting of approximately 800 forces from the SNSF and KDF were conducting a multi-day operation approximately 350 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu when the attack occurred," Africom said.

"The mission's objectives were to clear al-Shabab from contested areas, liberate villages from al-Shabab control and establish a permanent combat outpost designed to increase the span of Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) security and governance," it added.

The American soldiers were providing advice, assistance and aerial surveillance during the mission.

One of the wounded U.S troops received medical care in the field while the other three and the wounded partner force member were medically evacuated to receive additional treatment.

The names of the victims are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

U.S. President Donald Trump authorized the conducting of airstrikes in Somalia soon after taking office. There are roughly 500 U.S. troops and two military headquarters there.

U.S. forces have been working with the Somali government to fight the al-Shabab terror group, which has publicly boasted of its alliance with al-Qaeda and has been fighting Somalia's internationally recognized government for control of the country since the militant group was ousted from Mogadishu in 2011 by African Union-led forces.</s>A U.S. special operations soldier was killed in Somalia on Friday and four other U.S. service members were wounded, marking the first time an American has died in action in Africa since four U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger late last year.

The Americans were conducting an operation against the al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab alongside partner forces from Somalia and Kenya when they came under enemy mortar and small-arms fire, U.S. Africa Command said in a statement. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon local-time.

The Pentagon didn't identify the U.S. commando who was killed, pending notification of next of kin.

The U.S. service members were assisting a large force of approximately 800 local forces, as the group conducted a multi-day operation to liberate villages from al-Shabab control in the Jubaland region and clear the extremists from contested areas, according to the U.S. military.

The forces were also setting up "a permanent combat outpost" to help expand the Somali government's control over the region, where the jihadist insurgency for years has destabilized the east African nation, particularly in rural areas.

U.S. forces were offering "advice, assistance and aerial surveillance during the mission," U.S. Africa Command said, noting that the mission was designed to increase the Somali government's ability to provide services to innocent civilians under al-Shabab rule.

"The population in the region had historically supported the government, and the Somali forces had prepared for this mission by coordinating heavily with and securing the support of local authorities ahead of time," U.S. Africa Command said. "The overarching goal in Somalia for the Department of Defense is to help the [government] provide a safe and secure environment for the Somali population."

Three of the four wounded U.S. service members were evacuated to receive additional medical treatment, the military said. The fourth received sufficient medical care on the scene.

Though U.S.-backed operations and airstrikes have dented al-Shabab, the militants have continued to carry out deadly attacks in Somalia, including a bombing in October of last year that left some 300 people dead in the capital of Mogadishu.

The United States has about 500 troops in the country, according to U.S. officials, many of them special operations soliders such as Navy SEALs and U.S. Army Green Berets. The Americans train and support Somali troops and give them intelligence information to help in their campaign against al-Shabab, in addition to helping with surveillance and airstrikes.

The extent to which U.S. troops are assisting behind the scenes or fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with local troops has become a point of contention, not only in Somalia but also in other parts of the world where U.S. forces are helping fight extremist groups by backing proxy forces.

Friday's incident marked the first time a U.S. service member has died in action in Somalia since Navy SEAL Kyle Milliken, a senior chief petty officer, was killed in May of last year in a firefight with al-Shabab militants.

Miliken's was the first U.S. combat death in Somalia since 1993, when 18 U.S. service members died battling Somali militiamen in an episode that became known as "Black Hawk Down." Though the Pentagon initially described Miliken as operating behind Somali troops, U.S. officials later acknowledged that U.S. special operations soldiers had been fighting together with the Somali forces.

U.S. military operations in Africa have come under greater scrutiny since an Oct. 4 ambush by Islamic State militants in the West African country of Niger left four U.S. soldiers dead.

A U.S. military report on that incident publicized by the Pentagon last month without being fully released found that multiple individual and institutional failuresleft the U.S. troops vulnerable to the ambush.

Marine Corps Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, who heads U.S. Africa Command, said at a Pentagon press conference that he had taken steps to better ensure the safety of U.S. service members in future operations.

"We are now far more prudent," Waldhauser said. "The missions we actually accompany on have to have some type of strategic value in terms of the enemy we're going against. Do they have a strategic threat to the United States?"

Militants affiliated with al-Shabab have threatened to conduct attacks against the United States, and the U.S. military has said the group poses a direct threat to U.S. interests and allies in the region. Though the group remains primarily a regional threat, the U.S. military has deployed to Somalia to prevent the extremists from operating freely in a safe haven.</s>WASHINGTON: A U.S. commando was killed and four others were wounded on Friday when they came under fire in Somalia during an operation against al-Shabaab militants, the U.S. military said.

The U.S. special operations forces were fighting alongside about 800 troops from the Somali National Security Forces and Kenyan Defense Forces when they were attacked about 2:45 p.m. by mortars and small arms fire.

One local soldier was also wounded in the attack, the U.S. military said in a statement, without clarifying whether that fighter was part of the Somali or Kenyan armed forces.

Although one of the wounded Americans did not receive additional care after being treated in the field, the other three and the wounded local soldier were medically evacuated for follow-up care.

The troops had been on a mission to clear al-Shabaab from contested areas as well as villages the militants controlled, "and establish a permanent combat outpost" to expand the reach of the Somali state, the U.S. military's Africa Command said in a statement.

"The U.S. provided advice, assistance and aerial surveillance during the mission," it said.

About 500 U.S. troops are deployed in Somalia.

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

Since being pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011, the group has lost control of most of Somalia's cities and towns, but it retains a strong presence in regions outside the capital.</s>(Reuters) - A U.S. special operations forces soldier was killed and four were wounded on Friday in a gun battle against likely al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Details of the incident were first reported by the New York Times, which said American forces came under small arms and mortar fire while operating alongside Somali troops at a small outpost in the southwestern part of the country.

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

Since being pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011, the group has lost control of most of Somalia’s cities and towns. But it retains a strong presence in regions outside the capital.</s>MOGADISHU - Somalia's Islamist group al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for an attack in which a US commando was killed and four others were wounded when they came under fire in the country.



The US special operations forces were fighting alongside about 800 troops from the Somali National Security Forces and Kenyan Defence Forces when they were attacked late on Friday by mortars and small arms fire.



"We attacked a military base ... killed one US soldier, two Kenyan soldiers and nine Somali soldiers from Jubbaland state. We also injured four US soldiers," Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters on late Friday.
A U.S. special forces soldier is killed and four others are wounded in an ambush by suspected al-Shabaab militants near the town of Jamame, Lower Juba, Somalia.