Al-Shabaab commander killed in Somalia: US

The US on Friday said Al-Shabaab militant Ali Mohamed Hussein alias Ali Jabal was killed in drone strikes by American and Somalia forces in southern region.

The US Africa Command (Africom) said it conducted the operation on July 31 in coordination with its regional partners as a direct response to Al-Shabaab actions, including recent attacks on Somali forces, Xinhua reported.

"There were no civilian casualties from this strike," Africom said in a statement.

The military said the strike was conducted within the parameters of the proposal approved by President Donald Trump in March, which allows the US Department of Defense to conduct lethal action against Al-Shabaab within a geographically-defined area of hostilities in support of partner forces.

Ali Jabal was responsible for leading Al-Shabaab forces in the Mogadishu and Banadiir regions in planning and executing attacks.

He used the Lower Shabelle Region of Somalia, a known Al-Shabaab safe haven, as a hub for these activities.

The Al-Shabaab also conducted numerous attacks against the Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union Mission in Somalia members in the region.

His removal disrupts the Al-Qaeda allied group's ability to plan and conduct attacks in Mogadishu and coordinate efforts between Al-Shabaab regional commanders.

--IANS

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