A U.S. airstrike in Somalia killed 27 al-Shabab militants on Saturday, according to U.S. Africa Command.

Saturday’s strike occurred about 26 miles southwest of the northern coastal city of Bosasso, according to the command.

It is the latest and most lethal in a string of U.S. strikes that the command said has killed nearly 50 militants in recent weeks.

AFRICOM announced that 12 members of the terrorist group were killed in a similar strike on Thursday in an area 30 miles outside of the capital Mogadishu.

Before that, AFRICOM said another 10 militants were killed outside Mogadishu on May 23.

Each release announcing the recent operations states that AFRICOM assessed no civilians were killed in the airstrikes.

They are part of continuing counter-terrorism operations aimed at bolstering the fledgling Somali government in a country that has largely existed in a state of lawlessness for decades.

In response to reports alleging civilian casualties during a U.S.-involved operation on May 9, AFRICOM announced it was reviewing the operation.

“If the information supporting the allegation is determined to be credible, USAFRICOM will determine the next appropriate step,” the command said in a statement.

Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.

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