The US military on Friday confirmed it killed a high-level commander of the al-Shabaab extremist group with an airstrike in Somalia over the weekend, targeting a man blamed for planning deadly attacks in the capital of the Horn of Africa nation.
President Donald Trump earlier this year approved expanded military operations against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, including more aggressive airstrikes and considering parts of southern Somalia areas of active hostilities. Al-Shabaab is the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa.
A US Africa Command statement said the strike on July 30 killed Ali Mohamed Hussein, also known as Ali Jabal. He is the highest-level al-Shabaab commander killed this year.
The statement said he was “was responsible for leading al-Shabaab forces operating in the Mogadishu and Banadiir regions in planning and executing attacks against the capital of Mogadishu.”
The US statement said the airstrike occurred near Tortoroow, an al-Shabaab stronghold in Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia “as a direct response to al-Shabaab actions, including recent attacks on Somali forces.” It said no civilians were killed in the strike.
The US Africa Command has told The Associated Press it was a drone strike.
Al-Shabaab often carries out deadly attacks on high-profile targets in Mogadishu, including Somali military and African Union checkpoints and facilities, hotels and the area around the presidential palace.
The killing of Ali “disrupts al-Shabaab’s ability to plan and conduct attacks in Mogadishu and coordinate efforts between Al-Shabaab regional commanders,” the US statement said.
The US has carried out a handful of airstrikes since Trump’s expansion of military efforts. The US military in early July said it carried out an airstrike against al-Shabaab in Somalia and was assessing the results, with few details.
The airstrike followed one in June that the US said killed eight extremists at a rebel command and logistics camp in the south.
The Somalia-based al-Shabaab recently mocked Trump in a video that called him a “brainless billionaire.” The extremist group also has vowed to step up attacks in Somalia after the president elected in February declared a new offensive against al-Shabaab.
The extremist group also has carried out deadly attacks in neighboring countries, notably Kenya, calling it retribution for sending troops to Somalia to fight it.
AP
