The United States military is continuing to strike targets in its battle against Islamic extremism in the Horn of Africa.
The latest airstrike in Somalia killed an estimated 60 jihadis belonging to the al-Shabaab group, according to a report from Reuters published Tuesday. The strike targeted terrorists in the town of Harardere, which lies north of the capital Mogadishu, and took place Oct. 12, 2018.
“This precision airstrike was the largest airstrike against al-Shabaab since November 21, 2017, when U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against an al-Shabaab camp killing approximately 100 terrorists,” U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) officials said in a press release.
However, last week’s strike was not the only one to take place in October. According to press releases from AFRICOM, additional strikes were carried out in various locations throughout Somalia on Oct. 1, 6, and 14. (RELATED: US Airstrike Kills 5 Terrorists In Somalia)
“Alongside our Somali and international partners, we are committed to preventing al-Shabaab from taking advantage of safe havens from which they can build capacity and attack the people of Somalia,” AFRICOM officials said. “In particular, the group uses portions of southern and central Somalia to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, extort the local populace to fund its operations, and shelter radical terrorists.”