U.S. airstrike in Somalia kills 35 suspected al-Shabaab militants

A United States airstrike in Somalia has killed 35 suspected al-Shabaab militants, the U.S. Africa Command said on Monday.

The strike in central Hiran region on Sunday “interrupted an al-Shabaab attempt to mass their forces,’’ the U.S. disclosed in a statement.

U.S. forces are partnering African Union troops (AMISOM) and the Somali National Security Forces in combined counterterrorism operations in the troubled East African nation.

Al-Shabaab is seeking to establish a fundamentalist Islamist state in Somalia.

They regularly launch attacks on government buildings, hotels and restaurants in the volatile Horn of Africa nation.

The group is affiliated with the international al-Qaeda terrorist network.

(dpa/NAN)