http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-special-operations-forces-involved-somalia-raid-defense-officials-n534886
U.S. Special Operations Forces Involved in Somalia Raid: Defense Officials
by JIM MIKLASZEWSKI and COURTNEY KUBE MAR 9 2016, 1:45 PM ET
U.S. special operations forces participated in a military raid in southern Somalia overnight, defense officials told NBC News Wednesday.
The raid comes just days after the Pentagon said a massive U.S. airstrike killed more than 150 members of the al-Shabab terror group in the east African nation.
The al-Qaeda offshoot said Wednesday that foreign forces dropped in by helicopter had attempted to raid an al-Shabab-held town in southern Somalia overnight, according to The Associated Press. The militant group told the news agency its fighters fended off the raid.
Defense officials on Wednesday confirmed that special operations forces were involved in a raid in southern Somalia.
According to the officials, the Somali military forces were flown to the target area aboard U.S. military helicopters. The American commandos on the operation accompanied the Somali soldiers in an "advise and assist" role.
It's not clear whether the U.S. forces were drawn into combat with the al-Shabab militants during the raid. Two al-Shabab fighters were reportedly captured during the operation.
The involvement of U.S. forces in Somalia has been a sensitive subject since the deadly 1993 "Black Hawk Down" operation, in which 18 American troops were killed when helicopters were shot down by militants.
Memories of that incident have colored U.S. policy on Somalia for years, with successive administrations reluctant to get involved or risk a deadly repeat as al-Shabab gained strength.
January 2014 marked what appeared to be a turning point. The United States deployed a small team of military advisers to be based in Somalia for the first time in more than 20 years to help the Somali military plan and coordinate operations against the al Qaeda-linked group.
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http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/09/africa/somalia-al-shabaab-fighters-killed/
U.S., Somali commandos nab valuable Al-Shabaab figures, spokesman says
By Robyn Kriel and Greg Botelho, CNN
Updated 1801 GMT (0201 HKT) March 9, 2016
(CNN)U.S. special operations forces and Somali commandos captured an undisclosed number of high-value Al-Shabaab figures during a joint nighttime raid on one of the terror group's camps, a Somali government spokesman said Wednesday.
The teams also killed at least one senior Al-Shabaab leader and several members of the Islamist extremist organization in the Tuesday night operation, according to Abdisalam Aato, the Somali spokesman.
This is believed to be the same raid described by Mohamed Aways, an official in the southern Somali town of Awdhegle. Aways said the brunt of the attack -- involving three warplanes and "infantry" -- in his region lasted about 30 minutes, the state-run Somali National News Agency reported.
Awdhegle is located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.
Al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked militant organization, calls Somalia home. Its stated aim is to turn the East African nation into a fundamentalist Islamic state, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
But the Islamist extremist group hasn't confined its terror or ambitions to Somalia, as evidenced by other horrific attacks like last year's massacre at Kenya's Garissa University College and a 2013 siege of Nairobi's upscale Westgate Mall.
Source: U.S. kills 2 Al-Shabaab leaders in weekend attack
These tactics have made Al-Shabaab a target, with the United States, African Union and others often helping Somalia's government in going after the terrorist group.
The U.S. military also carried out an operation Saturday.
Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said manned and unmanned U.S. aircraft were used to kill as many as 150 Al-Shabaab fighters 120 miles north of Mogadishu at a training site called "Raso Camp."
The dead include a pair of high-level Al-Shabaab leaders, a senior Somali intelligence source told CNN. One was Yusuf Ali Ugas, a regional commander, recruiter and influential preacher. The other was Mohamed Mire, Al-Shabaab's governor for Somalia's Hiran region and a key member of the group's finance wing.
Peter Cook, another Pentagon spokesman, said Saturday's attack was carried out to safeguard "our African Union Mission" in Somalia and that "the fighters who were scheduled to depart the camp posed an imminent threat" to the mission.
At least 10 dead in attack on Somalia's parliament building
He added, "The removal of these fighters degrades Al-Shabaab's ability to meet the group's objectives in Somalia, including recruiting new members, establishing bases, and planning attacks" on U.S. and African Union forces.
However, Al-Shabaab denied the Pentagon report in in a short statement posted on the group's Twitter account.
"Harakat Al Shabaab Al Mujahideen denies the claims of killing 150 fighters in recent airstrike, as was reported by the Pentagon," the group said.
CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report.
Received on Wed Mar 09 2016 - 14:15:47 EST