U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against the al Qaeda-linked al-Shabab over the weekend in Somalia.
The recent airstrike carried out by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) targeted an area located approximately 40 miles northwest of Kismayo, Somalia, where the militant group al-Shabab was believed to be present.
According to a press release from AFRICOM, al-Shabab “has proven both its will and capability to attack U.S. forces.”
A press release stated, “AFRICOM, in collaboration with the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, is actively working to reduce al-Shabab’s capacity to plan and execute attacks that pose a threat to the United States, our military personnel, and our citizens overseas.”
The East African nation of Somalia has endured years of violence and rebellion from extremist groups such as ISIS and al-Shabab.
In the letter, Somalia offered “exclusive operational control” over the Berbera and Baledogle air bases and the ports of Berbera and Bosaso to “bolster American engagement in the region.”
One of the ports, Berbera, is in a key city located in Somaliland, whose long assertion as an independent state has not received international recognition.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the central government. It maintains its own government, security forces and currency and has held elections.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Tilsley and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
