US drone strike kills Al-Shabaab operative in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - For the third time in as many weeks, US military in collaboration with SNA soldiers raided Qunyo Barrow, an Al-Shabaab territory in Lower Shebelle on Thursday, US Africa Command said, as part of campaigns to degrade the militants.

The town has drawn US attention in recent weeks, attracting a series of airstrikes aimed at weakening the militants, who have caused havoc in Somalia for a decade.

And Thursday's airstrike, whose assessment established that one Al-Shabaab operative was killed, was the 20th within this year, the highest ever within the same period.

Last year, the US Africa Command under the stewardship of Gen. Stephen Townsend, conducted 63 airstrikes in southern and central Somalia, killing dozens of militants, State Department said.

Although such airstrikes have left dozens of civilians dead in past outing, AFRICOM added, "We currently assess no civilians were injured or killed as a result of this airstrike".

For instance, Ali Dhere, the Al-Shabaab spokesman, recently claimed that over 80 percent of victims of US airstrikes are poor farmers within Somalia.

Brig. Gen. Miguel Castellanos, deputy director of operations, U.S. Africa Command, said Al-Shabaab is keen to expand it's territory beyond Somalia, thus the concerted effort to crush them.

“Al-Shabaab’s leadership recently reiterated its primary focus of attacking American and Western targets beyond Somalia’s borders. Al-Shabaab remains fully committed to exporting violence,” he noted.

“We support the international security assistance model in Somalia. Our support, coupled with other international partners, restricts that ambition as the Somali forces continue to grow in capability.”

In Somalia, the U.S. works closely with our international partners on security sector development efforts, which include the United Nations, European Union, African Union, AMISOM and other troop-contributing countries.

The militants have been targeting non-locals and security forces although their raids have often led to the deaths of thousands of locals in Somalia. A fortnight ago, Al-Shabaab killed over 20 SNA soldiers in El-Salini military base.

A report by the UN, however, notes that the militants have been fleeing from remote villages for urban centers, due to increased drone strikes.

The US insisted that "we remain committed to Somali-led progress on improving conditions for a well-trained Somali National Army that can assume and sustain security within the country".

Currently, there are about 22,000 peacekeeping forces in Somalia under AMISOM, whose tentative exit plan is scheduled for 2021, after which SNA is expected to take over.

The US has also contributed over 500 special forces, whose main roles among others, is to train SNA troops besides giving them logistical support in sophisticated operations.

With partner and allied forces, AFRICOM said, "we work with on a daily basis are trying to create security conditions to enhance governance and economic development."

Al-Shabaab has been fighting since 2008 with an aim of toppling fragile UN-backed Somalia government, which is also battling clan animosity and rebellion from a section of federal states.

GAROWE ONLINE