US airstrike in Somalia leaves 3 al-Shabab fighters dead

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The U.S. military says it has carried out an airstrike in Somalia against al-Shabab extremists that left three dead.

A statement by the U.S. Africa Command says the latest strike was carried out Thursday afternoon near Jilib town in Middle Juba region. It says the U.S. assesses that no civilians were killed.

The U.S. military has carried out 11 such airstrikes in Somalia so far this year against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab.

The U.S. carried out more than 30 drone strikes last year in Somalia after President Donald Trump approved expanded military efforts. The strikes late last year also began targeting a small presence of Islamic State group-affiliated fighters in the northern part of the Horn of Africa nation.