The US military said on Friday a service member has been killed in Somalia during an operation against Al-Shabaab as US President Donald Trump’s administration steps up its fight against the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group.
A statement from the US Africa Command said the service member was killed on Thursday during the operation near Barii, about 64 kilometers west of the capital, Mogadishu, France24 reported.
The statement said US forces were conducting an advise-and-assist mission with Somalia’s military. A Somali intelligence official confirmed the US military operation, saying US forces in helicopters raided an Al-Shabaab hideout near the Somali capital on Thursday night and engaged with fighters.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the helicopters dropped soldiers near Dare Salaam Village in an attempt to capture or kill militants in the area. The official said the fighters mounted a stiff resistance against the soldiers.
Both the United States and Somalia in recent weeks have declared new campaigns against Al-Shabaab.
Somalia’s new Somali-American president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, last month declared a new offensive against the extremist group, which is based in Somalia but has claimed major attacks elsewhere in East Africa.
In Washington, Trump has also approved expanded military operations against the militant group, including more aggressive airstrikes and considering parts of southern Somalia areas of active hostilities.
Caption: Al-Shabaab fighters in Mogadishu (File Photo)
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