A US air strike in Somalia killed 12 militants from the Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate that launches regular attacks on targets in the African nation, the United States Africa Command said on Friday.

It said US forces conducted the strike on Thursday in conjunction with Somalia's government about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Mogadishu.

The Shabaab was pushed out of Somalia's capital in 2011, and subsequently from other towns and cities, by soldiers from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

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.

Somali commandos often carry out operations side-by-side with the American forces that train them. Air assaults and missile strikes have increased in recent months.

This was the 11th American strike against the Shabaab since the beginning of the year.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Faith leaders, Pygmies join forces in fight for Congo forest
Kinshasa (AFP) May 31, 2018
Religious groups and delegates of the Pygmy people indigenous to the Democratic Republic of Congo have met to push forward with a campaign to protect the Congo Basin rainforest, participants said. Wednesday's talks in Kinshasa sought to raise awareness among "various religious denominations" about the Congo Basin forest, a biodiversity hotspot and climate shield, said Henri Muhiya from the Catholic Church's commission for natural resources. Catholic, Protestant and Muslim delegates attended the ... read more