US Africa Command said in a press release on Monday that its forces conducted airstrikes in Somalia against al-Shabaab on May 21.
AFRICOM said that the strikes were launched in support of the US-backed government and “occurred approximately 27 miles northwest” of the southern coastal city of Kismayo.
The command offered no other details about the strikes. “Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” AFRICOM said.
AFRICOM previously told Antiwar.com that it wouldn’t be sharing any information about casualties in its airstrikes in Somalia as the Trump administration “settles in,” even though the first 100 days have already passed.
Horseed Media reported that 45 al-Shabaab fighters were killed in operations that involved airstrikes on May 20 and May 21. But the report said the fighting took place in the Hiran and Lower Shabelle regions of Somalia, which are further north than where AFRICOM said the May 21 airstrikes took place.
Based on AFRICOM press releases, the May 21 strike marked the 26th time the US bombed Somalia under the new Trump administration. But it’s unclear if the command is reporting every US airstrike that has been launched in the country.
Last week, the White House released a video that purported to show a US airstrike in Somalia that it claimed killed “10 jihadis.” The White House said the airstrike occurred on May 19, but AFRICOM has not reported any attacks on that day.
US airstrikes in Somalia have been targeting both al-Shabaab and the small ISIS affiliate in northeastern Somalia’s Puntland region. According to Somali media, the May 19 strike announced by the White House targeted ISIS.
