Tuesday 22,April 2025 {HMC} U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab militants near the Adan Yabaal district in the Middle Shabelle region on April 16, 2025.
In a statement issued Monday, AFRICOM said its initial assessment indicated that no civilians were harmed in the strike. The number of al-Shabaab militants killed has not yet been disclosed.
“Al-Shabaab has proved both its will and capability to attack U.S. forces,” the command stated, underscoring its continued support for Somali-led efforts to dismantle the group’s operational capacity.
The strike comes amid heightened tensions in Adan Yabaal, a strategic town about 220 kilometers north of Mogadishu that was recently overrun by al-Shabaab fighters. Militants launched a coordinated pre-dawn assault on April 16, forcing government troops to withdraw after hours of intense combat, according to a Somali security official quoted by the Anadolu news agency.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group designated as a terrorist organization by the Somali government, the United Nations, the United States, and the African Union, continues to mount deadly insurgent operations across the country. The group’s capture of Adan Yabaal marks a significant setback for the Somali government’s ongoing military campaign to reclaim territory in central and southern regions.
AFRICOM reiterated its commitment to working alongside Somali and international partners to counter the extremist threat. “We will continue to take action to degrade al-Shabaab’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad,” the statement read.
