MOGADISHU, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United States army said on Saturday evening that its forces conducted an airstrike in southern Somalia on Friday, killing 13 al-Shabab terrorists.
The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement that no civilians were injured or killed in the strike which targeted al-Shabab fighters in the vicinity of Gandarshe in Lower Shebelle region.
According to the statement, the extremist group has previously used Gandarshe, about 48 km southwest of Mogadishu, as a staging area for attacks including vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices that threaten the capital and its residents.
On Dec. 15 and 16, 2018, six U.S. airstrikes killed 62 al-Shabab militants near Gandarshe, who according to AFRICOM were preparing for an attack on a Somali government military base in the region, and on Wednesday a U.S. airstrike killed 24 militants in neighboring Hiran region.
The U.S. strikes have largely targeted al-Shabab figureheads based in southern and central Somalia where the group still maintains a strong grip in some areas.
