Photo taken on Oct. 14, 2017 shows the explosion site near Safari hotel in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia. At least 40 people were killed and several others injured in a deadly bomb explosion near a popular hotel in Somali capital of Mogadishu on Saturday, the police said. (Xinhua/Faisal Isse)
MOGADISHU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Four Al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in a U.S. airstrike in southern Somalia on Thursday, the latest in a series of strikes against the militant group in the Horn of African nation, officials said Friday.
The U.S. Africa Command (Africom), which oversees American troops on the continent, said the strike, conducted in coordination with the Somali government, occurred approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Kismayo.
"No civilians were killed in this strike," Africom said in a statement, vowing to continue to use all authorized and appropriate measures to disable terrorist threats.
Kismayo was once a stronghold of Al-Shabaab, served as its main revenue source through the port of Kismayo, before the military group was forced out by Kenyan forces in 2012.
The U.S. forces alongside Somali and African Union forces have increased ground and air offensives against the militant group Al-Shabaab in the last few months.
This came as African Union forces have started a conditions based draw-down from the Horn of Africa nation.