US Air Strike Kills 30 Islamist Al-Shabaab Fighters in Somalia

A US military strike near the central Somali town of Galcad killed at least 30 Islamist Al-Shabaab fighters on Friday (local time).

Somalia's military was engaged in heavy fighting, US Africa Command said in a statement, reported CNN.

The strike occurred about 260 kilometers northeast of the Somalian capital of Mogadishu, near Galcad. 

US Africa Command assessed that no civilians were injured or killed due to the remote location.

US forces "conducted a collective self-defense strike" in support of Somalia National Army forces who were "engaged in heavy fighting following a complex, extended, intense attack by more than 100 Al-Shabaab fighters," the statement said, referring to the terror group linked to Al Qaeda.

As per a defense official, there was no US military present on the ground when the airstrike occurred, reported CNN.

The US has provided ongoing support to the Somali government since President Joe Biden approved a Pentagon request to redeploy US troops to the area in an attempt to counter the terrorist group in May 2022. The approval to send fewer than 500 troops was a reversal of former President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all US troops from the country in 2020.

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