US airstrike kills 27 al-Shabab militants in Somalia

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.

US, Somali raid on al-Shabab seizes 3 commanders, officials say

U.S. and Somali commandos seized three men thought to be commanders with the al-Shabab extremist group during a deadly raid in a village in Lower Shabelle region, Somali intelligence officials said Thursday.

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.

About Geoff Ziezulewicz

Geoff is a senior staff reporter for Military Times, focusing on the Navy. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was most recently a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.

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