62 militants were killed by US airstrikes in Somalia, a US Africa Command released a statement on Monday.
The air strikes targeted al-Shabaab militants at Gandarshe in Somalia. A strike on Saturday killed 34 militants, and a strike on Sunday killed 28 militants, US Africa Command statement read.
The airstrikes were conducted in coordination with the Government of Somalia to “prevent terrorists from using remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire and recruit for future attacks.”
Al-Shabaab the al Qaeda’s largest affiliate, “uses portions of southern and central Somalia to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, extort local populace to fund its operations, and shelter radical terrorists,” the statement said.
The US military assessment said that the airstrikes did not injure or kill any civilians.
Prior to this, the US military was only authorized to carry out airstrikes in self-defense on the ground, but the airstrikes would take down the terrorists harder.