US airstrike kills 18 al-Shabab after US attacked in Somalia

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A U.S. military airstrike has killed 18 al-Shabab extremists after U.S. and local forces on the ground came under attack in southern Somalia, the U.S. Africa Command said Saturday. The incident occurred on Friday 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Kismayo in the south of the Horn of Africa country where Somali commandos work side-by-side with the American forces that train them. The statement says two other al-Shabab extremists were killed by Somali forces “with small arms fire during the engagement.”

An AFRICOM spokesman says no U.S. or partner forces were injured.
A U.S. airstrike kills 18 Al Shabaab militants north of Kismayo, Somalia. The militants were engaged in an attack on U.S. and local forces.