US airstrikes kill 7 Al-Shabab fighters in Somalia

Former Al-Shabab leader Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansur. (Reuters)

MOGADISHU: The US military said on Thursday it has killed seven Al-Shabab fighters in a series of airstrikes in Somalia as the administration of President Donald Trump steps up efforts against the deadliest extremist group in Africa.
A statement from the US African Command said the three airstrikes were carried out on Wednesday and Thursday in Jilib, about 320 km southwest of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.
The airstrikes were carried out with Somali forces, the statement said.
The US military has carried out several airstrikes against fighters with the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab in Somalia since President Trump early this year approved expanded military operations against the group, including more aggressive airstrikes and considering parts of southern Somalia areas of active hostilities.
The US and Somalia have said strikes in recent weeks have killed Al-Shabab leaders responsible for planning and executing deadly attacks in Mogadishu.
On Aug. 10, the US military announced two new airstrikes against Al-Shabab extremists and Somalia’s president said the joint operation killed a high-level leader of the group.
On Aug. 4, the US military confirmed that Al-Shabab commander Ali Mohammed Hussein had been killed in an airstrike in southern Somalia. Also known as Ali Jabal, he had been blamed for a number of deadly attacks in Mogadishu and was the highest-level Al-Shabab commander killed this year.
The Somalia-based Al-Shabab often targets Mogadishu with deadly bombings in high-profile areas such as hotels and military checkpoints.
The extremist group aims to destabilize the federal government that is trying to recover after a quarter-century of conflict.