Al-Shabaab fighters killed in 'very successful' US operation
Gen. Jack Keane weighs in on airstrike on terror training camp in Somalia on 'America's Newsroom'
U.S. forces in Somalia recently conducted a strike that killed Ali Muhammad Hussein, the al-Shabaab terrorist known as Ali Jabal, the U.S. military has confirmed.
The strike occurred about 3 p.m. local time July 30 near Tortoroow, in southern Somalia. There were no civilian casualties related to the operation, military officials said.
The U.S. conducted the mission in coordination with its regional partners as a direct response to al-Shabaab actions, including recent attacks on Somali forces.
Ali Jabal, considered a senior al-Shabaab terrorist, was responsible for leading forces operating in the Mogadishu and Banadiir regions in planning and executing attacks against the capital of Mogadishu.
He used the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, a known al-Shabaab safe haven, as a hub for these activities, officials said.
In recent months, al-Shabaab militants were known to have conducted suicide car bombings and assassinations targeting police, governmental and military leaders in the capital.
Al-Shabaab militants were also known to have conducted numerous attacks against the Somali National Army and African Union Mission in Somalia members in the region.
His removal disrupts al-Shabaab's ability to plan and conduct attacks in Mogadishu and coordinate efforts between Al-Shabaab regional commanders.
The strike was conducted within the parameters of the proposal approved by President Trump in March, which allows the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct lethal action against al-Shabaab within a geographically defined area of active hostilities in support of partner forces in Somalia.
Members of Somalia's Islamist rebel group al Shabaab are seen in Mogadishu, in an undated photo. (IntelCenter via Reuters)
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