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Suspected US Drone Crashes in Southern Somalia


Ugandan military personnel work with a small U.S.-made drone the Ugandan military uses in Somalia to fight al-Qaida linked militants, at a demonstration and briefing at Kasenyi Military Base in Kampala, Aug. 3, 2012.
Ugandan military personnel work with a small U.S.-made drone the Ugandan military uses in Somalia to fight al-Qaida linked militants, at a demonstration and briefing at Kasenyi Military Base in Kampala, Aug. 3, 2012.
A suspected U.S. drone has crashed in southern Somalia.

Provincial officials and al-Shabab militants say the aircraft crashed Tuesday near Bulo Marer in the Lower Shabelle region.

Lower Shabelle governor Abdikadir Mohamed Nur told VOA's Somali Service that al-Shabab militants fired anti-aircraft missiles at the aircraft before it crashed.

Al-Shabab, in a message posted to Twitter, did not claim responsibility for the downing of the drone. The group did say it has taken possession of the wreckage and moved it to a "safe location."

Although the United States does not discuss its counter-terrorism operations in Somalia, drones have been used to monitor and kill suspected al-Shabab fighters.
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