As the U.S. draws down resources across the African continent, it has continued its air support for counter al-Shabaab operations in Somalia. Most recently, it conducted six airstrikes, killing over 60 people as part of pre-emptive action against “major terrorist attack.” The remote location of the airstrike has been used as a staging ground for al-Shabaab attacks against elsewhere, including Mogadishu. The U.S. maintains a force of around 500 in Somalia, and airstrikes have risen sharply under the Trump administration, against both al-Shabaab and a smaller Islamic State-linked group.
Source: US conducts 6 airstrikes in Somalia to pre-empt major extremist attack; 62 dead
