A US special forces soldier has been killed in an attack by suspected al-Shabab militants in south-western Somalia, officials say.

Four other US soldiers and a Somali soldier were wounded in what appears to have been an ambush near the town of Jamaame, US defence officials added.

It was the first known US combat death in Africa since an ambush in Niger in October, the New York Times reported.

Militants launched the attack using small arms and mortar fire against a small outpost, defence officials quoted by the Times said.

The US military says its forces operate on an "advise and assist" mission with the Somali National Army.

Traditionally, US presidents have been wary of intervening in Somalia since 18 special forces soldiers died fighting militias in Mogadishu in 1993, a battle dramatised in the film Black Hawk Down.

However, President Donald Trump has expanded military operation against al-Shabab, the al-Qaeda affiliate there. </s> US soldier killed in al-Shabab ambush in Somalia

One U.S. special forces soldier was killed and four others wounded Friday in an attack by al-Shabab militants in southern Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (Africom) announced in a press release.

A "partner force" service member was also wounded, the statement added.

Members of the Somali National Security Forces (SNSF), Kenyan Defense Force (KDF) and U.S. forces were conducting a joint operation in the city of Jubaland when they came under mortar and small-arms fire.

"A large force consisting of approximately 800 forces from the SNSF and KDF were conducting a multi-day operation approximately 350 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu when the attack occurred," Africom said.

"The mission's objectives were to clear al-Shabab from contested areas, liberate villages from al-Shabab control and establish a permanent combat outpost designed to increase the span of Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) security and governance," it added.

The American soldiers were providing advice, assistance and aerial surveillance during the mission.

One of the wounded U.S troops received medical care in the field while the other three and the wounded partner force member were medically evacuated to receive additional treatment.

The names of the victims are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

U.S. President Donald Trump authorized the conducting of airstrikes in Somalia soon after taking office. There are roughly 500 U.S. troops and two military headquarters there.

U.S. forces have been working with the Somali government to fight the al-Shabab terror group, which has publicly boasted of its alliance with al-Qaeda and has been fighting Somalia's internationally recognized government for control of the country since the militant group was ousted from Mogadishu in 2011 by African Union-led forces. </s> An American special operations soldier was killed Friday in an attack in southern Somalia that also wounded four US military personnel along with a Somali soldier, a US defense official told AFP.

The official did not immediately know who had carried out the attack, but the US is supporting Somali partners as they target Islamic Al-Qaeda militants aligned with the Shabaab group.

“There was an attack in Jubaland, Somalia and it resulted in one US killed, four US wounded and one partner wounded,” the official said.

American forces under the US military’s Africa Command are partnering with African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali national security forces in counterterrorism operations, and have conducted frequent raids and drone strikes on Shabaab training camps throughout Somalia.

Last year, a member of the Navy SEALs was killed in a nighttime attack in Somalia, marking the first US military combat death there since the infamous events of “Black Hawk Down” in 1993, when 18 American servicemen died in what is called the Battle of Mogadishu.

Since 2007, Al-Shabaab has been fighting to overthrow the internationally backed government in Somalia. </s> (Reuters) - A U.S. special operations forces soldier was killed and four were wounded on Friday in a gun battle against likely al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Details of the incident were first reported by the New York Times, which said American forces came under small arms and mortar fire while operating alongside Somali troops at a small outpost in the southwestern part of the country.

Al-Shabaab is fighting to overthrow Somalia’s central government and establish its own rule based on its interpretation of Islamic law.

Since being pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011, the group has lost control of most of Somalia’s cities and towns. But it retains a strong presence in regions outside the capital. </s> MOGADISHU - Somalia's Islamist group al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for an attack in which a US commando was killed and four others were wounded when they came under fire in the country.



The US special operations forces were fighting alongside about 800 troops from the Somali National Security Forces and Kenyan Defence Forces when they were attacked late on Friday by mortars and small arms fire.



"We attacked a military base ... killed one US soldier, two Kenyan soldiers and nine Somali soldiers from Jubbaland state. We also injured four US soldiers," Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters on late Friday. </s> MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - Somalia's army chief says civilians, not extremists, were killed in a military operation Friday that both the United States and Somalia say they will investigate.

Ahmed Jimale Gedi told reporters on Saturday that the deaths in Barire village in Lower Shabelle region were the result of suspicion between the two sides.

He says he is shocked by the civilian deaths. The deputy governor of Lower Shabelle has said 10 civilians were killed, including three children.

Somalis observe bodies which were brought to and displayed in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. A number of civilians are dead after a raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm in Barire village in southern Somalia, according to the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

Somalia's government at first said al-Shabab extremists were killed but later noted civilian casualties.

The U.S. Africa Command has confirmed it supported an operation by the Somali army in the area.

President Donald Trump earlier this year approved expanded operations against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group in Somalia, often in support of Somali forces. </s> WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - U.S. forces acting in self defense called in an airstrike on al Shabaab militants in the southern Somalia province of Lower Juba, killing an estimated 18 Islamist extremists, U.S. Africa Command said on Saturday.

Somali government troops accompanying the U.S. unit killed two other fighters of the al Qaeda-linked group with small arms fire during the clash that took place on Friday, it said.

"The U.S. airstrike was conducted against militants after U.S. and partner forces came under attack," U.S. Africa Command said in a statement. "We currently assess no civilians were injured or killed."

The clash took place about 30 miles (50 km) northwest of the Lower Juba port city of Kismayo.

U.S. forces are in Somalia supporting a U.N.-backed government against al Shabaab, an Islamist extremist group that lost control of most of the country's towns and cities after withdrawing from the capital Mogadishu in 2011. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay; editing by Diane Craft) </s> Somalia’s Islamist group al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for an attack in which a U.S. commando was killed and four others were wounded when they came under fire in the country.

The U.S. special operations forces were fighting alongside about 800 troops from the Somali National Security Forces and Kenyan Defence Forces when they were attacked late on Friday by mortars and small arms fire.

“We attacked a military base … killed one U.S. soldier, two Kenyan soldiers and nine Somali soldiers from Jubbaland state. We also injured four U.S. soldiers,” Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters on late Friday.

He said the attack was in the southern town of Kismayo.

In a statement, the U.S. military said on Friday one local soldier was also wounded in the attack that also involved Somali and Kenyan forces.

The troops had been on a mission to clear al Shabaab from contested areas as well as villages the militants controlled, “and establish a permanent combat outpost” to expand the reach of the Somali state, according to the U.S. statement.

Kenyan military spokesman David Obonyo told Reuters that its forces were not involved in any operations in Somalia on Friday

About 500 U.S. troops are deployed in Somalia.

Al Shabaab is fighting to overthrow Somalia’s central government and establish its own rule based on its interpretation of Islamic law.

Since being pushed out of Mogadishu in 2011, the group has lost control of most of Somalia’s cities and towns, but it retains a strong presence in regions outside the capital. </s> he U.S. military said it carried out an airstrike in Somalia that killed 52 al-Shabab extremists in response to an attack on Somali forces.

The U.S. Africa Command statement says the airstrike occurred on Saturday near Jilib in Middle Juba region.

The U.S. says Somali forces had come under attack by a "large group" of the al-Qaida-linked extremists.

The statement does not say how many Somali forces were killed or wounded. There are no reports of Americans killed or wounded.

Al-Shabab controls large parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and elsewhere.

The group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on a luxury hotel complex in Kenya's capital on Tuesday.

The Ethiopian National Defense Force on Saturday confirmed an ambush by al-Shabab extremists on an Ethiopian peacekeeping convoy in neighboring Somalia and said Ethiopian forces are preparing a 'massive offensive' in response.

The statement rejected an al-Shabab claim that several Ethiopian troops were killed.

The ambush was reported as the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the deadly hotel assault in Nairobi and deadly attacks on forces inside Somalia.

Ethiopia contributes troops to a multinational African Union peacekeeping mission. It also has troops in Somalia independently under Ethiopian army command.

The statement said the ambush occurred when the convoy was traveling Burhakaba to Baidoa in Somalia's southwest.

A separate statement by the AU force said the ambush occurred on Friday and AU troops returned fire, killing four extremists and wounding several others.

Three soldiers with the AU force were wounded, the statement said.
A U.S. special forces soldier is killed and four others are wounded in an ambush by suspected al-Shabaab militants near the town of Jamame, Lower Juba, Somalia.