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> WASHINGTON: United States and allied forces came under attack in Somalia, triggering an air strike which killed 18 Al-Shabaab militants, the US military said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Friday 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of Kismayo in the south of the Horn of Africa country where Somali commandos work side-by-side with the American forces that train them. Air assaults and missile strikes have increased in recent months. “The US airstrike was conducted against militants after US and partner forces came under attack,” US Africa Command said in a statement. US forces also partner with the United Nations-backed African Union Mission in Somalia, which aims to counter the threat from Al-Shabaab jihadists. The air strike was conducted “in self-defense,” killing 18 militants, Africa Command said. </s> A U.S. military airstrike in central Somalia this weekend killed 60 Al Shabab fighters, the largest airstrike targeting the al-Qaeda affiliated terror group in more than a year, officials said Tuesday.

U.S. Africa Command said in a statement that the strike occurred on October 12 near Harardere, a town 250 miles north of Mogadishu.

“We currently assess this airstrike killed approximately sixty (60) terrorists,” said the statement. “This precision airstrike was the largest airstrike against al-Shabaab since November 21, 2017, when U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against an al-Shabaab camp killing approximately 100 terrorists.”

“We also currently assess this airstrike did not injure or kill any civilians,” it added.

Airstrikes in Somalia are usually carried out by unmanned Reaper drones and are small in scope.

U.S. Africa Command is authorized to conduct self-defense strikes in situations when African Union or Somali government troops accompanied by U.S. advisers came under attack.

They are also authorized to conduct offensive airstrikes in the southern part of the country targeting al Shabab safe havens.

Africom had disclosed the airstrike on October 12, but had provided no details other than to say “we are currently assessing the results of this airstrike.”

The Nov. 21, 2017, airstrike targeted an al Shabab training camp in southern Somalia and occurred during a time when there was an uptick in the number of airstrikes against the militant group.

There are about 500 U.S. military personnel in Somalia participating in an advise and assist mission with the Somali military. </s> NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 17- Some 62 Al-Shabaab militants have been killed in Somalia during 6 air strikes by the United States forces.

The airstrikes that were launched between Friday and Saturday last week targeted the militants within the vicinity of Gandarshe.

The first airstrikes claimed the lives of 34 militants while 28 others were killed on Saturday according to a statement issued by the Germany based US-Africa Command.

“Alongside our Somali and international partners, we are committed to preventing al-Shabaab from taking advantage of safe havens from which they can build capacity and attack the people of Somalia. In particular, the group uses portions of southern and central Somalia to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, extort the local populace to fund its operations, and shelter radical terrorists,” the US-Africa command said in a statement.

In the past, the US forces have been accused of killing civilians during such airstrikes, but none was killed according to a preliminary assessment, the Command says.

Together with other AMISOM forces, the US said it conducted the airstrikes to prevent terrorists from using remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire, and recruit for future attacks in Somalia and the region.

On October 16, an airstrike left 60 dead in Central Somalia. This was the deadliest attack since November 2017 when 100 terrorists were killed.

In the past, the US forces have been accused of killing civilians during the air strikes.

Since 2007, Al Shabaab has fought to overthrow successive internationally-backed governments in Mogadishu.

It was in 2011 that the Al-Qaeda affiliated group was pushed out of Mogadishu, the Somali capital and subsequently from other key towns including the port city of Kismayu. </s> United States and allied forces came under attack in Somalia, triggering an air strike which killed 18 Al-Shabaab militants, the US military said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Friday 50km northwest of Kismayo in the south of the Horn of Africa country where Somali commandos work side-by-side with the American forces that train them.

Air assaults and missile strikes have increased in recent months.

“The US airstrike was conducted against militants after US and partner forces came under attack,” US Africa Command said in a statement.

US forces also partner with the United Nations-backed African Union Mission in Somalia, which aims to counter the threat from Al-Shabaab jihadists.

The air strike was conducted “in self-defence,” killing 18 militants, Africa Command said.

Two other militants “were killed by Somali forces with small arms fire during the engagement,” it added.

In June an American commando was killed during an attack in southern Somalia that also wounded four US military members and a Somali soldier, officials said at the time.

More than 500 American personnel are partnered with African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali national security forces.

Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed Somali government in Mogadishu. </s> WASHINGTON: US 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, US Africa Command said on Saturday.

Somali government troops accompanying the US 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 US airstrike was conducted against militants after US and partner forces came under attack," US 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.

US forces are in Somalia supporting a UN-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. </s> A United States airstrike in Somalia has killed 35 suspected al-Shabaab militants, the U.S. Africa Command said on Monday.

The strike in central Hiran region on Sunday “interrupted an al-Shabaab attempt to mass their forces,’’ the U.S. disclosed in a statement.

U.S. forces are partnering African Union troops (AMISOM) and the Somali National Security Forces in combined counterterrorism operations in the troubled East African nation.

Al-Shabaab is seeking to establish a fundamentalist Islamist state in Somalia.

They regularly launch attacks on government buildings, hotels and restaurants in the volatile Horn of Africa nation.

The group is affiliated with the international al-Qaeda terrorist network. </s> US airstrike kills 18 al-Shabab after US attacked in Somalia

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A U.S. military airstrike has killed 18 al-Shabab extremists after U.S. and local forces on the ground came under attack in southern Somalia, the U.S. Africa Command said Saturday.

No U.S. or Somali forces were killed or injured in the attack, an AFRICOM spokesman, Nate Herring, told The Associated Press. The airstrike was carried out Friday in self-defense after extremists were "observed maneuvering on a combined patrol," while the U.S. also responded with "indirect fire," the spokesman said.

The confrontation occurred about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of the port city of Kismayo, the U.S. Africa Command statement said. Two other al-Shabab extremists were killed by Somali forces "with small arms fire during the engagement," it said.

The operation was Somali-led, the AFRICOM spokesman said. There was no immediate comment from Somali authorities.

The U.S. has carried out more than 20 airstrikes this year against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, the deadliest Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa.

U.S. military involvement in Somalia has grown since President Donald Trump early in his term approved expanded operations against al-Shabab. Dozens of drone strikes followed. Late last year the military also carried out its first airstrike against a small presence of fighters linked to the Islamic State in northern Somalia.

Since the expanded operations, two U.S. military personnel have been killed in Somalia.

A service member was killed in May 2017 during an operation about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Mogadishu. And in June, one U.S. special operations soldier was killed and four U.S. service members wounded in an "enemy attack" as troops with Somali and Kenyan forces came under mortar and small-arms fire in Jubaland.

The U.S. currently has about 500 military personnel in the Horn of Africa nation.

Al-Shabab, which seeks to establish an Islamic state in Somalia, was pushed out of Mogadishu in recent years but continues to control rural areas in the south and central regions. Its fighters continue to attack the bases of a multinational African Union force that remains largely responsible for security as Somalia's fragile central government tries to recover from decades of chaos.

In the next few years Somali forces are expected to take over responsibility for the country's security as the AU force withdraws. Concerns about their readiness remain high, and the U.N. Security Council recently voted to delay the handover's target date to December 2021. </s> JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The U.S. military says it has carried an airstrike that killed 18 al-Shabab extremists after U.S. and local forces came under attack in southern Somalia.

The U.S. Africa Command says in a statement the airstrike was carried out in self-defense on Friday about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of the port city of Kismayo.

The statement says two other al-Shabab extremists were killed by Somali forces “with small arms fire during the engagement.”

An AFRICOM spokesman says no U.S. or partner forces were injured. The spokesman says the airstrike was carried out after extremists were “observed maneuvering on a combined patrol” of U.S. and Somali forces.

The U.S. has carried out more than 20 such airstrikes this year against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, the deadliest Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa.
A U.S. airstrike kills 18 Al Shabaab militants north of Kismayo, Somalia. The militants were engaged in an attack on U.S. and local forces.