- The US Africa Command of the US Army issued a statement and gave this information
Mogadishu, dt. 23 January 2023, Sunday
The US military has carried out an air strike near the Somali town of Galkad, killing 30 al-Shabaab fighters. The US military launched the attack on Friday at a time when Somalia's army was engaged in heavy fighting. The US Africa Command of the US Army has given this information by issuing a statement.
According to the information received, the attack took place near Galkad, 260 km north-east of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. US Africa Command has assessed that no civilians were injured or killed in the attack due to its remote location.
The US military carried out the attack in response to an intensified offensive by more than 100 al-Shabaab fighters in support of Somali National Army forces and in collective self-defense, the US military said in a statement. Referring to the Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group, the US military said that Al Shabaab fighters are waging a complex, extended, and deadly war.
US strike kills 30 Al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia
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According to a report by a defense official, there were no US forces on the ground at the time of the airstrike.
In May 2022, President Joe Biden approved a Pentagon request to redeploy US troops to the region of Somalia to combat the terrorist group. Since then, the US has continued to support the Somali government.
The Biden administration's approval to send about 500 troops was against former President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all US troops from Somalia in 2020.
