Somali National Army boss Gen. Odawa Yussuf Rage and US military officials have discussed strengthening military cooperation between the two countries amid military operations against Al-Shabaab.
In a statement, Somali Defence said Gen Rage and the officials discussed a range of topics including strengthening cooperation between the two armies and the ongoing military operations against terrorists.
The development comes barely two days after a U.S. military airstrike targeted al-Shabab fighters who were attacking Somali National Army forces. The airstrike killed two, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
“Al-Shabab is the largest and most kinetically active al-Qaida network in the world and has proved both its will and capability to attack U.S. forces and threaten U.S. security interests,” the command said in a statement Tuesday, adding that it would continue “to take action to prevent this malicious terrorist group from planning and conducting attacks on civilians.”
The strike is the latest US military operation in Somalia. Earlier this month, a US airstrike killed an al-Shabaab leader, and in late September, another strike killed 27 members of the terrorist group.
The US has provided ongoing support to the Somali government since President Joe Biden approved a Pentagon request to redeploy US troops to the area in an attempt to counter the terrorist group in May.
The approval to send fewer than 500 troops was a reversal of former President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw all US troops from the country in 2020.
