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    February 24, 2012

Air Strike Kills 7 al-Shabab Militants in Southern Somalia

   VOA News

   Witnesses say an airstrike has killed seven members of the
   al-Qaida-linked rebel group al-Shabab in southern Somalia.
   The air attack occurred early Friday in a rebel-controlled area known
   as Kilometer 60, south of the capital, Mogadishu.
   Somali officials say an al-Shabab commander was among those killed when
   a missile from an unidentified plane struck a vehicle.
   A reporter for VOA says the dead include three Somalis and four
   foreigners.
   There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack. U.S. forces
   have been known to conduct raids in Somalia, most recently in January
   when Navy commandos rescued two aid workers that were being held by
   pirates.
   The strike comes one day after world leaders gathering in London
   pledged to help Somalia defeat al-Shabab and bring stability to the
   war-torn Horn of Africa country. The Somali government Friday called
   the conference a "great victory" for the Somali people.
   Al-Shabab is fighting Somalia's weak transitional government in an
   attempt to impose its strict version of Islamic law on the country.
   Al-Shabab rebels control large portions of southern and central
   Somalia, but have recently lost ground in the face of offensives by
   Ethiopian, Kenyan, and African Union troops.
   Earlier this month, al-Qaida announced a formal alliance with
   al-Shabab, though the groups are thought to have had informal ties for
   several years.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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