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.



NATO Boss Held Talks with Trump in Florida, Alliance Says

FILE PHOTO: New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attends a press conference, at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attends a press conference, at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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NATO Boss Held Talks with Trump in Florida, Alliance Says

FILE PHOTO: New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attends a press conference, at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attends a press conference, at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 1, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met US President-elect Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday, a spokesperson for the transatlantic military alliance said on Saturday.
"They discussed the range of global security issues facing the Alliance," the spokesperson, Farah Dakhlallah, said in a brief statement.
On its website, NATO said Rutte and his team also met with Congressman Mike Waltz, Trump's pick to be his national security adviser when he returns to the White House, and other members of the president-elect's national security team.
On Friday, NATO did not respond to requests for comment on Dutch media reports that Rutte - a former prime minister of the Netherlands - had flown to Florida on a Dutch government plane to meet Trump.
Rutte, who took office as NATO chief last month, was widely regarded as one of the best European leaders at forging a good working relationship with Trump during his first, 2017-21 term as US president.