Jake GodinThe U.S. military conducted an operation including drone strikes Monday against the Al-Shabaab militant group in the east African country of Somalia.
CNN’s pentagon correspondent broke the story, quoting the Pentagon’s press secretary as saying, “We are assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information as and when appropriate.”
Al-Shabaab, meaning “The Youth” or “The Youngsters,” pledged its allegiance to Al-Qaeda in 2012. It's been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. since 2008. (Video via Channel 4)
The militant group has plagued Somalia for years — seizing control of large swaths of land in the nation’s central and southern regions. Their most recent attack came Sunday at a high-security prison in the country’s capital Mogadishu.
According to RBC Radio, an independent broadcaster in Somalia, the failed attack started when five militants approached the prison disguised as security guards. All the attackers were killed along with three security guards and two civilians.
This wouldn’t be the first time the U.S. has targeted Al-Shabaab in Somalia. In 2008, one of the group's leaders was targeted and killed in a U.S. airstrike.
And in January of this year, another leader was targeted by a U.S. drone strike.
The Somali government has also recently ramped up efforts to retake parts of the country controlled by Al-Shabaab.
Dubbed “Operation Indian Ocean” Press TV reports that the government has already taken control of four major towns but faced resistance in the country's southern region.
Perhaps the group’s most infamous attack came almost a year ago at the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya. Sixty-seven people were killed and almost 200 were injured.
So far no other information has been released by U.S. officials on Monday’s operation.
This video includes images from Getty Images / John Moore.
