June 6, 2022
The U.S. is Bombing Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Again
Two weeks after the Biden administration confirmed it was sending hundreds of U.S. ground troops back to Somalia, but not for “combat,” U.S. forces launched an airstrike on militants in the country.
United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) performed the attack against al-Shabaab fighters in a rural part of the country, in response to the insurgents attacking Somali government forces.
Five al-Shabaab fighters were reported killed in the attack.
“U.S. forces are authorized to conduct strikes in support of designated partner forces,” AFRICOM noted in its statement on the strike, which happened on Friday.
AFRICOM did not specify what type of aircraft performed the attack.
It’s the second American airstrike on al-Shabaab this year, following one in February where a drone struck militants following an insurgent attack on Somali troops.
In that instance, AFRICOM said that American troops were not close to the operation.
Drone strikes in Somalia had steadily risen over the last decade, particularly under the Trump administration, peaking in 2019 with 61 incidents, according to data from the New America Foundation.
Those numbers significantly dropped once the Biden administration took power in 2021.
Prior to the February attack, the last military drone strike had been conducted in August 2021.
