U.S. strikes al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia

On July 4, 2017 the Department of Defense conducted a successful collective self-defense strike operation against an al-Shabaab troop concentration.



By U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs United States Africa Command Stuttgart, Germany Jul 05, 2017
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On July 4, 2017, at approximately 6:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, working from actionable intelligence, the Department of Defense conducted a successful collective self-defense strike operation against an al-Shabaab troop concentration. The operation occurred approximately 300 miles southwest of Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and is dedicated to providing safe haven for terrorist attacks throughout the world. Al-Shabaab has publicly committed to planning and conducting attacks against the US and our allies.

We continue to work in coordination with our Somali partners and allies to systematically dismantle al-Shabaab, and help achieve stability and security throughout the region.

We will continue to assess the results of the operation, and will provide additional information as appropriate. Specific details about the units involved and assets used will not be released in order to ensure operational security.

This strike was conducted within the parameters of our authority to engage in collective self-defense of our Somali partners.

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