Wednesday January 20, 2021
Airstrikes kill 3 militant leaders known for IED facilitation, disrupting the terrorist group’s activities MOGADISHU, Somalia —Three leaders of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group in charge of improvised explosives, which have claimed the lives of dozens in Somalia, were killed Tuesday in US airstrikes.
“These strikes targeted known al-Shabaab leaders involved in IED [Improvised Explosive Device] facilitation, fighter training and attack planning,” said US Air Force Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of Joint Task Force-Quartz.
“Striking these leaders disrupts al-Shabaab’s ability to attack our partners and indiscriminately kill innocent civilians with improvised explosive devices. We are working closely with our Somali partners to support their operations against al-Shabaab, protect their people and provide governance.”
Somalia’s Ministry of information noted that no civilians were killed or injured during the attacks.
In a statement, the ministry said that “through this cooperation, the federal government of Somalia aims to rid Somalia of al-Shabaab and to provide a better future for the Somali people.”
Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), a UK-based research institute that has followed explosive device attacks used in Somalia for decades, recently released a report on explosive violence, which is on the rise in Somalia. The report said that 93% of the civilian deaths in Somalia in 2019 were caused by explosive devices used in populated areas and IEDs caused 73% of civilian deaths.
The report warned of increased explosive attacks by the Somali militant group in the country, a trend which was not there in Somalia in the past.