The U.S. military launched retaliatory airstrikes targeting al-Shabab militants following the group’s brazen attack on a U.S. commando outpost, killing 10 fighters and destroying a vehicle after launching two airstrikes and engaging militants with small arms fire. The U.S. has roughly 650 to 800 Defense Department personnel in Somalia, including military and civilian workers. AFRICOM has carried out 52 airstrikes in 2019 against al-Shabab and ISIS-Somalia militants.
