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US confirms airstrike killed al-Shabab commander in Somalia

The US military on Friday confirmed it killed a high-level commander of the al-Shabab extremist group with an airstrike in Somalia over the weekend, targeting a man blamed for planning deadly attacks in the capital of the Horn of Africa nation.

 

President Donald Trump earlier this year approved expanded military operations against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, including more aggressive airstrikes and considering parts of southern Somalia areas of active hostilities. Al-Shabab is the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa.

 

A US Africa Command statement said the strike on July 30 killed Ali Mohamed Hussein, also known as Ali Jabal. The statement said he was "was responsible for leading al-Shabab forces operating in the Mogadishu and Banadiir regions in planning and executing attacks against the capital of Mogadishu."

 

Ali also had served as the extremist group's shadow governor for Mogadishu and had been one of al-Shabab's most outspoken officials.

 

The statement said the airstrike occurred near Tortoroow, an al-Shabab stronghold in Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia "as a direct response to al-Shabab actions, including recent attacks on Somali forces." It said no civilians were killed in the strike.

 

The US Africa Command has told The Associated Press it was a drone strike.

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.04.17, 12:36