US kills 7 al Shabaab fighters in Somalia air strike

Master Sgt. Russ Scalf/US Air Force

Three U.S. air strikes killed seven al Shabaab fighters in Somalia, the U.S. Africa Command said on Thursday.

The strikes hit targets 200 miles (320 km) southwest of Mogadishu on Wednesday and Thursday in an operation conducted in cooperation with Somali forces, it said in a statement.

Islamist militant group Al Shabaab has allied with al Qaeda and frequently bombs military and civilian targets in Somalia's capital and other cities.

The US has conducted at least 5 air strikes in Somalia since June, including one in late July that killed senior al Shabaab leader Ali Jabal. 

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