MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The US military has conducted three airstrikes in Al-Shabaab held areas in Somalia’s south, days after AFRICOM said withdrawal of American troops from the war-torn nation had been completed.
The first US military strike “destroyed an Al-Shabaab compound” in the town of Tiyeglow in Bakool region, south Somalia on Monday night. The attack targeted a building housing Al-Shabaab’s mouthpiece, Radio Andalus, according to reports by local media.
Two other drone strikes were launched “in the vicinities of Jamame and Deb Scinnele” in south Somalia.
The airstrikes launched in coordination with the Somali federal government “killed 3 Al-Shabaab operatives”, the US Africa Command said on Tuesday.
“The command’s initial assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed as a result of this operation,” AFRICOM statement reads.
Local media reports suggested that a clan elder identified as Mohamed Abas was killed in one of the airstrikes on Tuesday near the town of Jamame.
Both Somali government and Al-Shabaab militants have not immediately commented on the airstrikes, which are part of efforts by the American military to mount pressure on militants to prevent them from launching daring attacks on African Union and Somali forces after the withdrawal of an estimated 700 US military personnel from Somalia last week.
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