US ups Somalia military campaign, targets ‘Daesh’

The US has carried out its first air strikes against purported Daesh positions in Somalia as Washington moves to step up its military campaign in the militancy-riddled state and the entire African continent.

The US military said on Friday that “several terrorists” were killed in two air strikes in Somalia’s northern state of Puntland

The Pentagon’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the first strike was carried out at midnight local time (2100 GMT, Thursday) and another one at 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT, Friday).

“US forces will continue to use all authorized and appropriate measures to protect Americans and to disable terrorist threats,” the statement said, adding that the drone attacks had been coordinated with the Somali government.

Daesh, which first showed face in Somalia in 2015, is engaged in rivalry with al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants involved in a separate terror campaign in the country.

The latest US drone raids came after the White House granted the US military broader authority to carry out military strikes against what are said to be militant positions in Somalia.

SS