United States military forces, in conjunction with Somali special troops, have conducted an operation against a major bastion of the Takfiri al-Shabab militants in the southern part of Somalia, inflicting losses on the extremists.
Unspecified American military aircraft struck a terrorist nerve center in Somalia on Sunday, an operation believed to have killed eight al-Qaida loyalists who've staged repeated attacks on US allies in the region.
In May, a USA service member was killed during an operation conducted against al-Shabaab while supporting the Somali National Army.
In March, President Donald Trump authorized the Defense Department to conduct legal strikes against al-Shabab within a geographically defined area of active hostilities, White said.
"The mission which was successfully ended destroyed an important training camp where the group used to organize violent operations", said Mohamed.
In the attack on Thursday al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters overran the base in Af Urur, a town about 100 km (60 miles) south of Bosaso.
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Two of the attackers eventually detonated explosive vests themselves, while the others were shot dead by security forces. Iran has said five Iranians, who had joined IS and travelled to its Iraq and Syria bastions, carried out the attack.
"We remain committed to working with our Somali partners and allies to systematically dismantle al-Shabab, and help achieve stability and security throughout the region", White said.
The most recent strike against al-Shabab is part of the Pentagon's newfound focus on the African terrorist organization and the Somali government's aggressive new fight actions against the terrorist group.
There was no immediate comment from Al-Shabab.
In recent years USA drone strikes have targeted a number of key al-Shabab commanders, including former leader Ahmed Abdi Godane who was killed on September 1, 2014.
USA special forces have been deployed in Somalia for years. He was part of an operation co-coordinated by the Somali National Army and U.S. Africa Command and was the first American to be killed in the country since the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.
"The group has cemented its control southern and central Somalia, they have used this area to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, and to shelter other radical terrorists", AFRICOM notes.
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