U.S. Military Says It Killed 62 Militants In Airstrikes

The U.S. military said Monday it had killed 62 militants in six airstrikes Saturday and Sunday in the vicinity of Gandarshe in Somalia’s south-central Banaadir province.

The military’s Africa Command (Africom) said four strikes were carried out Saturday, killing 34 militants, and two more on Sunday, which killed 28. “Africa Command and our Somali partners conducted these airstrikes to prevent terrorists from using remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire and recruit for future attacks,” Africom said in a statement.

The airstrikes, among the deadliest this year, did not kill any civilians, the statement said.

“At this time we assess these air strikes did not injure or kill any civilians.”

The United States carries out regular airstrikes in Somalia in support of a U.N.-backed government there, which has been fighting against an Al-Shabab insurgency for years.

Last month, the U.S. military said it had killed 37 militants.