US Launches Airstrikes in Somalia, Says Four al-Shabaab Fighters Dead

The US launched airstrikes in Somalia on Tuesday against al-Shabaab, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said on Wednesday.

AFRICOM said in a press release that three airstrikes were launched in Beledweyne, Somalia, in support of the US-backed Somali government that’s based in Mogadishu. AFRICOM claimed that its “initial assessment” found four al-Shabaab fighters were killed and that no civilians were harmed.

But the Pentagon is notorious for undercounting civilian casualties, especially in Somalia, where US operations are shrouded in secrecy. The incident marks the second US bombing in Somalia within one month, signaling the US might be escalating its drone war in the East African nation.