MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – US Africa Command said on Wednesday it had killed 27 Al-Shabaab fighters in an air strike near the town of Bulo-burte in central Somalia’s Hiran region.
In a statement, AFRICOM said its initial assessment showed that no civilians were harmed by strike conducted on September 18 after Somali government forces came under attack from insurgents.
It came weeks after US air raid targeting a bus station in the town of Mubarak in the Lower Shabelle region killed at least 10 people and wounded nearly 20 others. AFRICOM has not yet taken responsibility for the deadly strike.
Al-Shabaab has not immediately commented on the claim.
On Friday, media affiliated with Al-Shabaab reported that a well-known clan leader, his son and another elder were killed in a drone strike in the vicinity of the town of Buq Aqable in the central region.
Multiple US air strikes have been reported in the region since Somali army bolstered by clan militias launched a military operation to cleanse parts of the region of militants.
Meanwhile, Al-Shabaab said on Wednesday it had killed nearly 20 soldiers, including military commanders, in an ambush near the village of Boco which was captured by government troops on Tuesday, under cover of US air support. There has been no independent confirmation of the assertion. Somali army and Hiran regional officials have not yet discussed details of the attack.
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