A report by the Defense Department’s Inspector General, issued on July 16, noted that AFRICOM concedes al Shabaab maintained its capability to conduct hit-and-run attacks, ambushes, and improvised explosive device (IED) operations and “remains adaptive, resilient, and capable of attacking U.S. and its Somali and African Union allies to defeat al Shabaab despite nearly a decade of military operations. The strikes continue due to the failure of the U.S. Last year, the Trump administration conducted 63 air attacks in Somalia, an all-time high. “If you look at 2019 strikes, the frequency is similar to this point,” said spokesman John Manley. is still poised to log a record number of air strikes in Somalia for the sixth straight year. interests,” AFRICOM commander General Stephen Townsend announced in January, but experts say this mindset put civilians in peril.ĭespite AFRICOM’s slowdown in air attacks, the U.S. “e will pursue those responsible for this attack and al-Shabaab who seeks to harm Americans and U.S. soldier and two Defense Department contractors – were being carried out at a blistering pace, averaging one air strike every two to three days. military base in Manda Bay, Kenya that killed one U.S. attacks – following an al Shabaab assault on the U.S. advisors, and five straight years of record-setting numbers of air strikes. military and humanitarian assistance, ground operations involving Somali forces and U.S. The al Qaeda-aligned terrorist group has been active in Somalia since 2006, maintains influence in many areas of the country, and, according to AFRICOM, remains “ resilient” despite billions of dollars of U.S. The strikes are part of a long-running military campaign to increase security in Somalia by degrading al Shabaab and, to a lesser extent, the Islamic State.
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