Source: Wikipedia Commons / American drones such as the remotely piloted General Atomics MQ-1 Predator, have been used primarily by the United States Air Force for counter-terror airstrikes in the Horn-of-African nation Somalia.
By Gary Raynaldo – DIPLOMATIC TIMES
A U.S. airstrike over the weekend killed a senior al-Shabaab leader in southern Somalia, AFRICOM confirmed. The strike occurred near Jilib, about 370 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu. AFRICOM did not identify the senior al-Shabaab killed. However, according to Somalia’s Ministry of Information, Abdullahi Nadir was killed in a joint operation Saturday with Somali National Army and “international security partners” in Haramka village in Middle Jubba region. AFRICOM confirmed that the airstrike was conducted in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia. Haramka, where Yare was killed, is approximately 50 miles from Jilib. Nadir had a $3 million bounty on his head by the United States and the Somali government described him as “one of the most important members of al-Shabab.”
AFRICOM said it a statement that its initial assessment is that the strike killed an al-Shabaab leader and that no civilians were injured or killed.
Al-Shabaab is the largest and most kinetically active al-Qaeda network in the world and has proved both its will and capability to attack U.S. forces and threaten U.S. security interests, according to AFRICOM. U.S. Africa Command, alongside its partners, “continues to take action to prevent this malicious terrorist group from planning and conducting attacks on civilians.”
AFRICOM said Somalia remains key to the security environment in East Africa, and that its forces will continue training, advising, and equipping partner forces to give them the tools that they need to degrade al-Shabaab.
U.S. Biden Administration Steps Up Airstrikes in SOMALIA
In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two airstrikes in Somalia on Jan. 1, 2021. (credit: africom.mil)
President Biden’s Department of Defense has been striking hard against Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa during the past few months. Since early June, the Pentagon has conducted at least eight airstrikes in Somalia. AFRICOM confirmed that on September 18, a U.S. airstrike killed 27 al-Shabaab terrorists who were attacking Somali National Army forces near Buulobarde, Somalia. On August 14, a U.S. airstrike killed 13 al-Shabaab fighters in a remote location near Teedaan, Somalia. On July 17, AFRICOM confirmed it conducted an airstrike that killed two al-Shabaab fighters in a remote location near Libikus, Somalia.
