AFRICOM announced that it conducted an airstrike in an area of Puntland, targeting a conventional weapons storage facility belonging to Al-Shabaab.
According to an AFRICOM press release, the strike took place in the Sanaag region, approximately 80 kilometers southwest of the city of Bosaso.
AFRICOM stated that the operation was carried out in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali National Army, with the aim of degrading Al-Shabaab’s ability to threaten U.S. forces and citizens abroad.
The U.S. command also stated that details regarding the specific forces and aircraft used in the strike would not be disclosed, citing operational security.
However, the U.S. did not report any casualties resulting from the operation, consistent with its policy of not disclosing casualty figures from its operations.
Puntland had previously claimed that the operation was conducted in cooperation with its own security agencies, although the U.S. has now stated that it coordinated with the Federal Government of Somalia.
For over a year, the U.S. has been consistently supporting Puntland in the fight against ISIS.
