DJIBOUTI (SD) – The U.S. military announced on Thursday that an airstrike in southern Somalia killed two members of Al-Shabaab, including a senior commander. The strike, coordinated with the Somali Federal Government, targeted a location southwest of the city of Kunyow Barrow on Tuesday, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

The airstrike occurred on Tuesday approximately 10 km southwest of Kunyow Barrow, south of Mogadishu, as stated in a press release from AFRICOM.

“AFRICOM will continue to assess the operation’s results and provide additional information as appropriate,” the statement said without further details.

The Somali government praised the “planned operation” carried out by “international partners” in the same district.

The press release stated that the operations “successfully eliminated a terrorist leader named Mohamed Mire Jama, also known as Abu Abd al-Rahman,” which took place in Kunyow Barrow, Lower Shabelle region.

Mohamed Mire held various positions within Al-Shabaab and was currently the head of the Islamic provinces.

Washington has invested heavily in counter-terrorism efforts for over a decade.

During his first term from 2016-2020, the newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Somalia.