Wednesday July 25, 2018
MOGADISHU, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Africa Command (Africom) on
Wednesday denied conducting airstrikes against al-Shabab on Tuesday
night, two days after local forces killed 87 militants in southern
Somalia.
"U.S. Africa Command has not conducted a strike within the past 24
hours," Africom spokesman Karl J. Wiest told Xinhua hours after local
reports said unidentified warplanes carried out strikes on a village
about 60 km north of Mogadishu.
Quoting local military sources, local media reported that the
airstrikes targeted senior al-Shabab commanders in a remote area between
Bal'ad and Jowhar towns.
No casualties were reported in the airstrikes.
Residents confirmed hearing sounds of fighter jets bombing Qalimow village.
The strikes came a few hours after the insurgents briefly took over
the village before fleeing on Tuesday evening, local reports said.
On Monday, the Somali National Army said its soldiers killed 87
al-Shabab militants during heavy fighting at a military base in
Bar-Sanguni, about 50 km north of Kismayo.