The U.S. Africa Command launched an airstrike on Thursday near the Somali town of Kunyo Barrow, targeting al-Shabaab militants.
According to AFRICOM, the airstrike killed two militants and destroyed one of their vehicles.
The force said the attack did not kill or injure any civilians.
“This precision airstrike was conducted in support of the Federal Government of Somalia as it continues to degrade al-Shabaab. Airstrikes reduce al-Shabaab’s ability to plot future attacks, disrupt its leadership networks, and degrade its freedom of maneuver within the region,” AFRICOM said in a statement.
The force in its statement said the militant group was taking advantage of safe havens in southern and central Somalia to plan attacks on civilians, steal humanitarian aid and extort the locals.
Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency in Somalia for over a decade now, aiming to topple the government and instill an extreme sharia-based system of governance.
The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, also crippling government projects.
In its statement, the US AFRICOM said it would “continue to work with its partners to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia from the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) to the Federal Government of Somalia and its Member States.”
U.S. Conducts Airstrike in Support of the Federal Government of Somalia – https://t.co/a2XKvPoum5 pic.twitter.com/pxLmgqctdA
— US AFRICOM (@USAfricaCommand) October 26, 2018
