The US military on Tuesday (July 20) carried out an airstrike against Shebab jihadists affiliated with al-Qaida, the first since President Joe Biden took office in late January, AFP learned from the Pentagon.
Read also: American strike against the Islamic State group in Somalia
The Military Command for Africa (Africom) "
today carried out an airstrike in the vicinity of Galkayo
", 700 km northeast of Mogadishu, Pentagon spokeswoman Cindy told AFP. King. The strike was aimed at the Shebab Islamists and the outcome of the operation is being assessed, with fighting continuing on the ground between the Shebabs and government forces, the spokesperson said. "
The command's initial conclusions are that no civilian was injured or killed by this strike,
" she added.
This is the first airstrike carried out by the US military in Somalia since January 19, when Africom announced that it had killed three Shebab jihadists in two strikes in Jamaame (south) and Deb Scinnele (north of Mogadishu).
54 bombings in 2020
Upon his arrival at the White House the next day, Joe Biden had limited the use of drones against jihadist groups outside theaters of war where the United States is officially engaged, reversing a policy of his predecessor Donald Trump, who had gave carte blanche to the military in countries like Somalia and Libya.
Read also: Somalia: more than 20 dead in the attack on a military base and a city
In March, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said any planned strike against jihadist groups outside of Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq was now submitted to the White House before being executed.
Former President Donald Trump had, from the start of his mandate in 2016, relaxed the control that Barack Obama exercised over armed operations against jihadist groups, saying "
to trust (his) generals
".
The drone strikes had then multiplied, from 11 bombings in Somalia in 2015 to 64 in 2019 and 54 in 2020, according to the specialized organization Airwars.
Just before his departure from power, Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of some 700 special forces soldiers who were deployed in Somalia to train and advise the Somali army.