US drone strike kills 13 al-Shabab fighters in Somalia
FOX NewsDec 23, 2022
Somalia: US Military States 27 al-Shabaab Fighters Killed
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Image copyright: AFP [The Defense Post]
The Facts
The US military stated on Wednesday that it killed 27 al-Shabaab fighters in an airstrike on Sunday. This took place in the central Somali region of Hiraan, where the Somali military and forces of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) launched an offensive against the al-Qaeda-linked militant group last month.
According to the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the "defensive strikes," in which no civilians were reportedly injured, were carried out at the request of the Somali federal government while the Islamist extremists were attacking federal forces near Buulobarde, a town north of the capital Mogadishu.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The fact that Mogadishu has turned to the US, of all countries, for assistance in its fight against al-Shabaab is just another example of America's desire for regional dominance. It's certainly no coincidence that Washington decided in May to redeploy troops to Somalia under the guise of "fighting terrorism." In reality, Washington is primarily concerned with containing the growing influence of China, but also Russia, in this strategically important region.
Pro-establishment narrative
After former Pres. Trump decided to withdraw US troops from Somalia, there was an uptick in terrorist violence. The fact that the Somali federal government is now making progress fighting al-Shabaab terrorists is also due to the return of US troops to the country and America's military cooperation with Mogadishu. Since al-Shabaab also poses a direct threat to the US itself, defeating the terrorists is also a matter of national security.
