Washington - The US military has
carried out an air strike in Somalia against al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgency that wants to overthrow
Somalia's weak UN-backed government, US officials said on
Monday.
The strike took place at 1130 GMT (7:30 a.m. EDT) on July 2,
the Pentagon said. It did not disclose additional information
about the strike, including specific militant targets.
"We are currently assessing the results of the operation,
and will provide additional information as appropriate," said
Army Major Audricia Harris, a spokeswoman.
Since being pushed out of the capital Mogadishu in 2011, al
Shabaab has lost control of most of Somalia's cities and towns.
But it retains a strong presence in swathes of the south and
center and carries out major gun and bomb attacks.
The group aims to topple Somalia's government, drive out
African Union peacekeeping troops and impose its own harsh
interpretation of Islamic law.
The latest strike came a month after a US drone strike in
Somalia, which the Pentagon estimated killed eight militants.