US attacks al-Shabab in Somalia

The United States has attacked Islamist group al-Shabab in Somalia on Monday. Further details of the operation will only be released once the Pentagon has assessed the results of the operation.

“We are assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information as and when appropriate,” Pentagon spokesman John F Kirby said.

However, American media have quoted a US official as saying that the operation targeted “a senior al-Shabab operative”.

The military operation comes after al-Shabab attacked a detention centre in Somalia’s capital of Mogdishu on Sunday, in an apparent effort to free imprisoned militants. Somali officials said that all the attackers were killed, along with three government soldiers and two civilians.

The Islamist group lost control of Mogadishu in 2011 after getting defeated by a 22,000-member African Union force that was supported by the United States. However, al-Shabab still controls land in the centre and south of Somalia.

Al-Shabab frequently carries out bombings and assassinations in Mogadishu in its mission to overthrow the Somali government. The group claim responsibility for last year’s attack on the Westgate mall in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in which 67 people were killed.