35 al-shabab militants killed in Somalia, AFRICOM said
U.S Africa military command (AFRICOM) said Monday that its latest airstrike in Somalia killed 35 fighters in Hiiran region in Central on Sunday. The U.S. military command for the African continent said Sunday’s airstrike targeted the al-Qaida-linked fighters as they were travelling in a rural area about 23 miles (37 kilometres) east of Beledweyne town in Hiran region in Central Somalia. The U.S. has dramatically increased airstrikes against Al-Shabaab since President Donald Trump took office. Its military has carried out 22 such strikes this year, including four on Saturday that eliminated checkpoints used by Al-Shabaab to collect taxes to fund its violent campaign to establish an Islamic state in the long-chaotic Horn of Africa nation. The U.S. militray carried out nearly 50 strikes against al-shabab and IS in Somalia in 2018 alone.