TENSION: US airstrike kills Over 60 al-Shabab extremist fighters in Somalia

Somalia's Islamic al-Shabab spokesman Sheik Muktar Robow Abu Mansur (C) addresses a news conference where he vowed to step up attacks against government soldiers and foreign troops in Mogadishu December 14, 2008.  REUTERS/Feisal Omar (SOMALIA) - GM1E4CE1T8801

JOHANNESBURG – The U.S. military on Tuesday announced its deadliest airstrike against the al-Shabab extremist group in Somalia in nearly a year, killing about 60 fighters.

The U.S. Africa Command said Friday's airstrike occurred near the community of Harardere in Mudug province in the central part of the country. According to its assessment no civilians were injured or killed, the statement said.

It was the largest U.S. airstrike since one on Nov. 21, 2017, killed about 100 al-Shabab fighters. The statement gave no further details about what was targeted in this latest strike and the U.S. Africa Command did not immediately respond to questions.

The U.S. military has carried out more than two dozen airstrikes, including drone strikes, this year against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, the deadliest Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa.

Somalia on Sunday marked the first anniversary of al-Shabab's deadliest attack, a truck bombing in Mogadishu that killed well over 500 people. It was one of the world's deadliest attacks since 9/11 and the worst extremist attack ever in Africa.

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