US strikes kill 62 militants in Somalia

The US military says it carried out six air strikes in south-central Somalia at the weekend, killing 62 militants.

The US has killed 62 militants in six air strikes in Somalia's south-central Banaadir province, the country's military says.

The Africa Command (Africom) says four strikes were carried out on Saturday near Gandarsh, killing 34 militants, and two more on Sunday, which killed 28.

"Africa Command and our Somali partners conducted these air strikes to prevent terrorists from using remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire and recruit for future attacks," Africom said in a statement.

The air strikes, among the deadliest this year, did not kill any civilians, the statement said.

The United States carries out regular air strikes in Somalia in support of a UN-backed government there, which has been fighting against an al-Shabaab insurgency for years.

Last month, the US military said it had killed 37 militants.

In Washington, the Pentagon cited 45 strikes against al-Shabaab militants this year after 35 strikes in 2017.

As of August 2018, the Pentagon believes there were 3000 to 7000 al-Shabaab fighters and 70 to 250 Islamic State militants in Somalia, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Robert Manning said during a media briefing.


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Source: AAP


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