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US drone 'kills 150 Somali militants' | US drone 'kills 150 Somali militants' |
(35 minutes later) | |
A US drone strike has killed more than 150 al-Shabab militants in Somalia, the Pentagon says. | |
Spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the strike hit a training camp where a "large-scale" attack was being planned. | Spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the strike hit a training camp where a "large-scale" attack was being planned. |
"We know they were going to be departing the camp and they posed an imminent threat to US and [African Union] forces," Captain Davis said. | "We know they were going to be departing the camp and they posed an imminent threat to US and [African Union] forces," Captain Davis said. |
"Initial assessments are that more than 150 terrorist fighters were eliminated," he added. | "Initial assessments are that more than 150 terrorist fighters were eliminated," he added. |
Mr Davis said the strike, on Saturday, targeted a camp about 120 miles (195km) north of the capital, Mogadishu. | |
The camp had been under surveillance for some time ahead of the drone strike, according to Mr Davis. | |
"There was a sense that the operational phase was about to happen," he said. | |
He said the group had neared the completion of specialist training to conduct "offensive operations", but did not give any details about the alleged plot. | |
Al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, was pushed out of Mogadishu by African Union peacekeeping forces in 2011 but has continued to launch frequent attacks in its bid to overthrow the Western-backed government. | |
The group has said it carried out a string of recent attacks including a twin bombing at a busy restaurant in the Somali city of Baidoa last month. |