US strikes in Somalia kill 3 militants linked to al Qaeda

The U.S. this week carried out a strike in Somalia that killed three militants with al Shabaab, an American-designated terrorist group with ties to al Qaeda.

The Sunday strike targeted al Shabaab fighters in southern Somalia in a remote area some 20 miles from the city of Kismayo, according to U.S. Africa Command. No civilians were injured in the strike.

U.S. forces have launched strikes and fought against al Shabaab in Somalia since 2007.

Al Shabaab, which formed in the early 2000s, remains active across eastern Africa, including southern Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Washington describes al Shabaab as the most active al Qaeda network across the globe and a persistent security threat.

Al Shabaab has pledged loyalty to al Qaeda, both of which are Sunni Islamist and extremist insurgent groups.

The U.S. killed al Qaeda’s primary leader Osama bin Laden in 2011, and the group has been largely defeated but remains active.