Somali, U.S. forces kill 8 al-Shabab militants

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Somali and U.S. security forces on Sunday evening killed eight al-Shabab militants in the latest onslaught on the extremist group in the southern region, officials confirmed on Monday.

The Somali Ministry of Information said no civilians were killed or injured in the attack conducted by the Somali National Army (SNA) and U.S. Africa Command (Africom) in the vicinity of Mubarak.

“The Federal Government of Somalia, the SNA, Danab Brigade, and its United States partners are committed to fighting al-Shabab terrorists in order to prevent the deaths of innocent civilians,” the ministry said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

“The efforts we take to protect and safeguard civilians dramatically contrast to the indiscriminate attacks that the coward al-Shabab regularly conducts against the civilian populace of Somalia,” it added.

The drone strikes have largely targeted al-Shabab figureheads based in southern and central Somalia where the group still maintains a strong grip in some regions.

The extremists have recently stepped up their attacks against African Union and Somali forces especially in Mogadishu, targeting their bases, hotels and other public places.