20 Shabaab Militants Killed in Somalia

Somali forces patrol in Mogadishu. (AP)
Somali forces patrol in Mogadishu. (AP)
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20 Shabaab Militants Killed in Somalia

Somali forces patrol in Mogadishu. (AP)
Somali forces patrol in Mogadishu. (AP)

Somali state television announced on Wednesday that 20 al-Shabaab militants were killed in an airstrike in the country's central region of Hiran.

The Somalian intelligence forces, in cooperation with international allied forces, carried out the airstrike.

The attack targeted a vehicle belonging to al-Shabaab members, leaving 20 of them dead.

At least ten people were killed on Tuesday when al-Shabaab terrorists stormed a residential building in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.

In a statement, the US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) said it carried out a “collective self-defense” strike against al-Shabaab following a request from the Somalian government.

The strike was in support of Somali National Army engagements against al-Shabaab, AFRICOM said.

“At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia and in support of Somali National Army engagements against al-Shabaab, US Africa Command conducted a collective self-defense strike on Feb. 21,” the statement read.

The strike occurred in a remote area near Galmudug, which is approximately 510 km northeast of Mogadishu, it added.

“The initial assessment is the strike killed seven al-Shabaab militants. Given the remote location of the operation, the command assesses that no civilians were injured or killed,” according to AFRICOM.

Meanwhile, the Somali National News Agency reported that disputes among al-Shabaab militias have led to the house arrests of several leaders in the south of the country.



Biden Meets with Starmer, Brushes Off Putin's Threats About Weapons for Ukraine

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, second right, during a meeting with US President Joe Biden, 2nd left, in the Blue Room at the White House in Washington, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, second right, during a meeting with US President Joe Biden, 2nd left, in the Blue Room at the White House in Washington, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool via AP)
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Biden Meets with Starmer, Brushes Off Putin's Threats About Weapons for Ukraine

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, second right, during a meeting with US President Joe Biden, 2nd left, in the Blue Room at the White House in Washington, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, second right, during a meeting with US President Joe Biden, 2nd left, in the Blue Room at the White House in Washington, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool via AP)

President Joe Biden brushed off a threat from Russian leader Vladimir Putin about war against the West if Ukraine’s allies allow it to use weapons deeper inside Russia. It's a shift that Kyiv has pleaded for, but no decision was immediately announced following a meeting Friday between Biden and Britain’s prime minister.

Ukraine was a key topic for Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after this week’s visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats, who came under fresh pressure to loosen weapons restrictions. So far, the US has allowed Ukraine to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia’s border with Ukraine.

Two US officials familiar with discussions said they believed Starmer was seeking Biden’s approval to allow Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles for expanded strikes in Russia. Biden's approval may be needed because Storm Shadow components are made in the US. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share the status of private conversations, said they believed Biden would be amenable.

Starmer said talks would continue when global leaders convene for the annual UN General Assembly gathering this month.

“This was a really important invitation from the president to have this level of discussion about those critical issues,'' he told reporters after the White House meeting. He added, “Ukraine has a right to self-defense, and we’ve stood united.”

Putin said a day earlier that allowing long-range strikes “would mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries, are at war with Russia.” His remarks were in line with the narrative the Kremlin has promoted since early in the war, accusing NATO countries of de-facto participation in the conflict and threatening a response.

Speaking to journalists before the private talks with Starmer, Biden said he wanted to make “clear that Putin will not prevail in this war.”
Asked what he thought about Putin’s threat, Biden answered, “I don’t think much about Vladimir Putin.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed Friday that decisions on what military support to provide Ukraine were complex, saying, “There is no silver bullet when it comes to things like this.” He noted last week that Ukraine has already been able to strike inside Russia with its own internally produced systems, including drones.