NAIROBI, KENYA —
The U.S. military said it killed nine militants in an airstrike targeting al Shabaab in Lebede, Somalia, as part of its operations to support the government’s efforts to weaken the militant group.
The military’s Africa Command (Africom) said the strike was carried out Friday.
“We currently assess this airstrike killed nine militants with no civilians involved,” Africom said in a statement late Saturday.
The United States carries out periodic airstrikes in Somalia in support of a U.N.-backed government there, which has been fighting against an al-Shabaab insurgency for years.