Tuesday May 19, 2020
Members of Al-Shabaab at an undisclosed location in Somalia. The US Africa Command said the two terrorists were killed in an air strike. PHOTO | FILE | AFP
The United States Africa Command (Africom) today confirmed the killing of two terrorists inside Qunyo Barrow area in Sothern Somalia on Sunday.
In a statement, Africom said the two were killed in an air strike targeting Al Shabaab militants in an operation conducted in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.
“The US support to our Somali partners is and will remain strong,” said Africom’s director of operations Major General William Gayler.
The statement claimed that there were no reported civilian casualties in the strike.Ads By Google“This enemy has no regard for the lives of innocent Somalis and the group presents a threat to the Somali people, the US and interests abroad US Africa Command affords our partners over-watch and added precision capabilities. US Africa Command affords our partners over-watch and added precision capabilities,” said Col Christopher Karns, Africom’s director of public affairs.
Africom, which oversees American troops in Africa, acknowledged that for Somalia to achieve stability, efforts would have to be drawn from both non-military and military means.
The military command said US forces will use a range of effective and appropriate methods to assist in the protection of the Somali people including partnered military counterterrorism operations with the government and Somali National Army Forces.
Their efforts will be aimed at improving security conditions in Somalia to enhance governance and economic development while preventing Shabaab’s desire to expand its reach and further export violence.
“US Africa command continues to work with its Somali partners to transfer the responsibility for long term security in Somalis to the Federal government of Somali and its member states,” added the statement.
Increased air strike attacks targeting Shabaab militants in Somalia led to the death of more than 30 terrorists in the month of April alone.
On April 10, one fighter was killed in the vicinity of Jamaame while on April 9, one militant was killed near Kobon.
On April 6, five terrorists were killed near Jilib in yet another air strike while on April 5, eight militants were killed in a similar manner near Muubaraak.
Fiver others were killed two days before in the vicinity of Bush Madina on April 3 and on April 2, another air strike killed three militants including high ranking Shabaab leader Yusuf Jiis who was described by Africom as one of the foundational members of the terror group.
Africom has affirmed that it shall be keen to foil efforts by terrorists taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to further their agenda.
Source: The Daily Nation
