US supports Federal Government troops combating al-Shabaab in Adale

The US Africa Command confirmed on Sunday conducting two collective self-defense strikes, one each on Dec. 14th and December 17th, in support of the Somali National Army.

Somali Secuirity Forces were engaging al-Shabaab militants near the town of Adale, Somalia when they requested for support from the US government. 

According to a statement by AFRICOM, the Dec. 14 strike took place 176 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu, in the vicinity of Cadale.

“The current assessment is 7 al-Shabaab militants were killed,” the statement noted.

Another air strike was on Saturday conducted by Somalia’s international partners in an area that is approximately 220 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu, also in the vicinity of Cadale.

According to the command initial assessment indicate 8 al-Shabaab fighters were killed in the airstrike.

“Protecting civilians remains a vital part of the command’s operations to promote greater security for all Africans,” said AFRICOM.

“Al-Shabaab is the largest and most deadly al-Qaeda network in the world and has proven both its will and capability to attack Somali, East African, and American civilians. U.S. kinetic actions against al-Shabaab in Somalia are conducted in support of the Federal Government of Somalia’s ongoing campaign to disrupt militant operations in their country,” the statement further read.

Somalia which has been backed by the international community remains key to the stability and security in all of East Africa.

U.S. Africa Command has vowed to support forces through training, advising, and equipping partner forces to give them the tools that they need to defeat al-Shabaab.

The Somali military has recaptured a large part of the central states of Galmudug and Hirshabelle from the militant group.

The Horn of Africa nation has been fighting al-Shabab since 2007.

Militants have been carrying out deadly attacks on government troops and African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia for more than a decade.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was reelected earlier this year, had announced an “all-out war” against al-Shabab.

The statement by US Africa command follows declaration made by Somalia’s deputy information minister, Abdirahman Yusuf Omar Al-adala, stating the Somali army had killed at least 88 al-Shabab fighters in the same province within 48 hours.