U.S. Forces Neutralize 13 al Shabab Fighters in Recent Somalia Airstrike
Monday, August 28, 2023
Kismayo (AX) – The United States military command in Africa announced that it carried out an airstrike in southern Somalia, resulting in the elimination of 13 al-Shabab militants.
AFRICOM, in a press release on Sunday, stated that the airstrike, conducted on August 26 near Seiera, Somalia, around 45 kilometers northwest of Kismayo, was an act of “collective self-defense.” The operation was aimed at supporting the Somali National Army, actively engaged in combatting al-Shabab. AFRICOM emphasized that the strike was executed in response to the request of the federal government of Somalia.
Following an attack by al-Shabab militants on a military base in the central region of Somalia, it is reported that a number of soldiers and officers might have lost their lives. A day after this incident, the United States launched its airstrike.
The assault took place in Owsweyne, a village that had recently been liberated, situated approximately 20 kilometers from the Elbur district within the Galgadud region. While the government acknowledged successfully repelling the attack, they have refrained from disclosing the exact casualty figures.
A close associate of President Mohamud, Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, has called for an impartial investigation into the terrorist attack in Owsweyne.
