US Military Airstrike In Somalia Against Al-Shabab Kills 3

The U.S. military says it has carried out an airstrike in Somalia against the al-Shabab group, killing three fighters.

The U.S. Africa Command statement says the strike was carried out on Monday about 40 kilometres (24 miles) southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.

The U.S. has carried out 21 such strikes this year against the Somalia-based al-Shabab. The al-Qaida-linked group is the deadliest Islamic extremist organization in sub-Saharan Africa and it often targets Mogadishu with deadly attacks.

The U.S. since late last year also has carried out a number of drone strikes against a small presence of fighters linked to the Islamic State organization in the northern part of the Horn of Africa nation.