Somali and US forces conducted an airstrike on Adan Yabaal, a town 220 kilometres (140 miles) north of Mogadishu, killing 12 Al-Shabaab militants, including senior leaders, according to a statement from the Somali government on Thursday.
The strike was launched as Al-Shabaab fighters attacked the strategic town, which serves as a base for Somali military commanders. The joint operation, carried out Wednesday night by Somali forces and the US Africa Command, was intended to neutralise the threat posed by the Islamist group.
“The targeted strike hit a site used by the militants as a gathering and hideout,” the Ministry of Information said in a statement on X. “Preliminary reports indicate that 12 operatives, including senior leaders, were eliminated.”
Adan Yabaal was recaptured from Al-Shabaab in December 2022 during a major Somali-led offensive supported by African Union peacekeepers. The recent uptick in attacks by the Al-Qaeda-linked group—including one targeting President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy—has raised concerns of a potential resurgence.
AFP
