MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia’s intelligence service cooperated with the U.S. in airstrikes that killed more than 150 al-Shabab members on Saturday, an intelligence official said Tuesday.
The airstrikes targeted a forested military training camp run by the Islamic extremists 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu, the official said, adding that the camp was al-Shabab’s main planning base. He said Somali officials helped the U.S. to pinpoint the location of the militants’ training base but did not give details.
Another intelligence official said al-Shabab members training there were planning to attack a drone base in the region.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press on this matter.
The Pentagon said Monday that the airstrikes killed fighters who were preparing to launch a large-scale attack, likely against African Union or U.S. personnel.
Multiple drones and manned aircraft launched missiles and bombs on the site, called Raso Camp, which the U.S. had been watching for several weeks, said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman.
The camp was destroyed, Davis said, adding that the U.S. believes there were no civilian casualties.
The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab has been linked to a number of attacks, including the detonation of a bomb aboard a commercial passenger jet last month that forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Mogadishu.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thanks, Obama. (derisive sneer/snark)
Gotta give it to Obama.
He sure is using his divine right to kill anybody in the world. Just as an Emperor should.
Who is the “press” to question the motives or evidence - hah, evidence - needed to tidy this up?
Hey Randy!
Wanna see how “Progressive” TPM and its commentariat are? See how this story plays out here . . . .
You take your cues from Glenn Greenwald, who gave President Bush the “benefit of the doubt” on his war of choice?
Some really offensisve comments above.
I’m an aid worker right now, in Somalia. Al Shabaab is forever killing innocent people in large numbers but they have no specific objectives or aims. If we asked Al Shabaab what they really wanted, they’d have nothing specific to say. They really just want to kill their way into the collapse of Somalia and Kenya and fine if this takes 100 years of killing shoppers on the weekend. They killed 5 in my camp a year ago but they usually kill many more.
But Obama should stand back and let them do this? My head spins.