The military of the United States of America has confirmed its part in carrying out a recent air strike against al-Shabab militants in the southern region of Somalia in the middle Juba region. This strike, in the town of Jilib, was conducted due to joint efforts with the Somali federal government, said the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). The initial assessment report stated that no civilians were harmed during the operation, but it is still unknown if any of the senior al-Shabab commanders were targeted. Al-Shabad members have a strong hold over the town of Jilib which is situated at a distance f 385 kilometers southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.
In another incident, four Somali government soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Daynile district of Mogadishu. Among the four victims, three were part of the military while one officer was from the construction unit. It was claimed that the attack was carried out by al-Shabab. The spokesperson for the ministry, Brigadier General Abdullahi Ali Anod, still maintained that the overall security in the capital has improved since the deployment of the new military police over a month ago.
Mahad Salad, the director of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency recently visited Washington and New York and held meetings with the US officials from the Pentagon, CIA, and FBI with a focus on security and counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.
Furthermore, a video purportedly featuring al-Shabab leader Ahmed Diriye, also known as Ahmed Umar or Abu Ubaidah, was released by the group’s media department. The video showed a meeting attended by top al-Shabab leaders, traditional elders, and religious scholars. Diriye commented on the Somali government’s military offensive and claimed that it had failed, despite driving al-Shabab from significant territories in Hirshabelle and Galmudug states. The Somali government has announced preparations for a second phase of the offensive. Notably, Diriye’s face was blurred in the video, as previous al-Shabab videos did not reveal the leader’s identity. The US government has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on Diriye’s whereabouts.
