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U.S to upgrade base in Djibouti to bolster Al-Shabaab airstrikes in Somalia

The U.S is upping its airstrikes campaign in Somalia following an expected upgrade of its airfield in Djibouti to handle increased flights of unmanned aircraft.

The U.S is upping its airstrikes campaign in Somalia following an expected upgrade of its airfield in Djibouti to handle increased flights of unmanned aircraft.

HOL has learnt the U.S military is going ahead with construction works at Chabelley Airfield in Djibouti as from mid-June in a bid to meet growing demand as the Africa Command (Africom) ramps up strikes against Al-Shabaab elements in Somalia.

According to sources privy to the developments, the US Air Force’s 726th and 776th Expeditionary Air Base Squadrons is upgrading the facility which it has been using since 2013.

As of April, this year, Africom had conducted about 40 airstrikes in Somalia marking an all-time high as it ratchets up strikes to annihilate Al-Shabaab targets.

Africom announced containment measures in its main base-camp Lemonier in late April to stem the spread of the novel corona virus.

China opened its overseas military base in Djibouti which is estimated to have been built at the cost of $590 million in 2017.

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