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Somalia Slams US Bombing Against al-Shabab

The US armed forces launched airstrikes to target the al-Qaida-linked al-Shadab group in Somalia to kill five fighters

Somalia Slams United States Airstrikes Against Al-Shabab

The United States forces targeted the al-Qaida-linked terrorist group al-Shabaab in Somalia in its first airstrike since Joe Biden, the U.S. President, reapproved deploying his military to Somalia, killing five fighters on Friday. After the strike, the Somalian Ministry of Information took Twitter to announce the U.S. airstrike saying that it had targeted al-Shabab militants after they had attacked Somalian forces.

United States Africa Command and the Pentagon shared ay details about the incident. U.S. military aircraft carried out the first airstrike against al-Shabab since mid-May, when the administration announced it would reestablish a “small, persistent U.S. military presence” in Somalia after the previous administration opted to pull out troops stationed in the country as of December 2020.

Last month, senior government officials called the decision by former Republican President Donald Trump to end the persistent American presence in Somalia a mistake. Further, he argued that it gave al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab, a chance to regenerate. A senior United States official told reporters that al-Shabab grew stronger. Additionally, it increased the pace of its terrorist attacks against civilians and U.S. personnel.

Somali President Welcomed the Change

On social media, the new Somali leader thanked United States President Joe Biden for the change. In addition to high-ranking U.S. military officials, several senior Somali officials had been lobbying for a U.S. military presence in the country to help combat al-Shabab. However, ahead of an announcement about the United States return, a senior adviser to Mohamud told VOA that the withdrawal was a hasty one.

Somalia Slams US Bombing Against al-Shabab
Somalia Slams US Bombing Against al-Shabab
Source: Web

Officials in Somalia have said they have no doubt airstrikes against al-Shabab will increase as long as the U.S. remains in the country. Only one airstrike has been publicly confirmed this year, on February 22, by the U.S. African Command against al-Shabab fighters near Duduble, Somalia. U.S. African Command has not yet released a statement regarding the strike reported Friday by Somali authorities.

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