Mogadishu, March 30 (IANS) The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, conducted an airstrike on several ISIS-Somalia targets in the east African country.
The airstrike was conducted on Saturday in the southeast of Bosaso, Puntland, in the northeastern region of the country.
According to the initial assessment, AFRICOM said that multiple ISIS-Somalia operatives were killed, and no civilians were harmed. It stated that ISIS-Somalia’s malicious efforts threaten US security interests.
“ISIS-Somalia has proved both its will and capability to attack US and partner forces. This group’s malicious efforts threaten US security interests,” AFRICOM said in a statement.
“Additionally, AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the US homeland, its forces, and the civilians abroad,” the statement further read.
Meanwhile, AFRICOM added that the specific details about the operation will not be released to ensure continued operational security.
In a similar attempt on March 25, the AFRICOM and the Somali government conducted multiple airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia in the vicinity of the Golis Mountains.
During the operation, AFRICOM said that several operatives were killed, and no civilian was harmed in the process.
In February, Dorothy Shea, Deputy US Representative to the United Nations in New York, during the UN Security Council briefing, stated that countering ISIS and other terrorist groups around the world is a top priority for US President Donald Trump’s administration.
President Trump has already taken action in conjunction with the Somali government by directing precision airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia on February 1.
Last month, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the US always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the US and its allies.
According to a report from the US Department of State, the Somali government remained a committed partner of the US in the ongoing fight against al-Shabaab (AS) and ISIS-Somalia.
–IANS
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