MOGADISHU, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- United States special forces on Tuesday evening conducted an airstrike against Al-Shabaab in Somalia, killing "several militants," the U.S. Africa Command (Africom) said Wednesday.
The drone operation occurred about 80 km northwest of the capital, Mogadishu, Africom said in a statement.
"In coordination with the federal government of Somalia, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike in Somalia against Al-Shabaab on Tuesday at approximately 6 p.m. local Somalia time, killing several militants," the statement said.
Pentagon spokesperson Col. Rob Manning said earlier that more than 40 Al-Shabaab and Islamist State militants were killed in a series of airstrikes in the Horn of Africa nation on Nov. 9-12.
According to U.S. military reports, there have been more than 20 other airstrikes on Al-Shabaab and IS targets in Somalia.
Africom said Al-Shabaab has pledged allegiance to Al-Qaida and is dedicated to providing safe haven for terrorist attacks throughout the world.
"Al-Shabaab has publicly committed to planning and conducting attacks against the U.S. and our partners in the region," it said.
