JOHANNESBURG — The United States military says it has killed two al-Shabab extremists in four airstrikes in Somalia. The attacks eliminated checkpoints and facilities used by al-Shabaab to collect taxes to fund their violent campaign in Somalia, said a statement Sunday from the U.S. Africa command. According to the statement, two airstrikes on Saturday hit the Kunyow Barrow area, about 250 kilometres (155 miles) southwest of the capital, Mogadishu. With these four airstrikes, the U.S. military has carried out at least 16 such airstrikes this year in Somalia against al-Shabab, the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa and which is linked to al-Qaida. The United States has dramatically stepped up airstrikes against al-Shabab since President Donald Trump took office.

Source: National Post February 24, 2019 14:26 UTC