Al-Shabab, which translates to “the youth”, was formed in the early 2000s with the intent to overthrow Somalia’s western-backed government and implement strict Sharia, or Islamic law.
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Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said 150 militants, who are believed to be dead, were in the area planning a “large-scale” attack, according to the BBC.
The Australian navy, which patrols waters around the Indian Ocean as part of an global maritime force, said it had seized almost 2,000 AK-47 rifles, 100 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 49 PKM machine guns, 39 PKM spare barrels and 20 mortar tubes from the fishing vessel.
“Initial assessments are that more than 150 terrorist fighters were eliminated”, he added.
It’s unclear if the strike caused any civilian casualties.
Peter Cook, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said in a statement that the strike was conducted using manned and unmanned aircraft.
“We’re still assessing (the strike) … it was apparently successful”. Last month a plane was forced to make an emergency landing after a bomb smuggled aboard at Mogadishu International Airport exploded mid-air. The group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Somalia and at the border towns of Kenya. And the new report is not likely to answer all of the questions.
Because the US doesn’t publicly disclose all the drone strikes it takes, the report isn’t expected to detail the specific countries where people died. In recent years, the us military has carried out airstrikes and special operations raids against al-Shabaab leaders.
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Obama’s move to shed more light on the drone wars comes as the US struggles to contain extremist groups and violent ideologies that are growing and spreading. In place of top-down, well-organized groups like al-Qaida, the threat has shifted to a diffuse array of smaller groups and lone actors in what Monaco dubbed “do-it-yourself terrorism”.
