The U.S. military said on Wednesday it had killed 27 fighters from the al Shabaab militant group in an air strike in Somalia's central Hiran region, where the army and allied forces have launched an offensive against the insurgents in the last month.
The United States has been carrying out air strikes in Somalia against al Shabaab, an al Qaeda franchise, for years. Sunday's strike was the sixth recorded in 2022, according to the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) website.
In Hiran region residents say al Shabaab's torching of houses, destruction of wells and killing of civilians, combined with demands for taxes amidst the worst drought in 40 years, has pushed locals to form paramilitary groups to fight alongside the government.
