U.S. kills 150 Somali fighters in preemptive airstrike

Somali Al-Shebab fighters gather on Feb. 13, 2012.
(Image credit: Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP/Getty Images)

The United States targeted an Islamist militant training camp in Somalia on Saturday, killing 150 members of Al Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab, the Pentagon reports. U.S. officials say the militants were planning attacks on American troops and allies in the region. American warplanes bombed the camp during what appeared to be a graduation ceremony.

"They were standing outdoors in formation," one official told The New York Times. Al-Shabab has killed dozens in East Africa in recent months, and the group is responsible for the 2013 Westgate mall attack in Kenya that killed 63. Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said that the airstrike is expected to "degrade al-Shabab's ability" to continue such attacks.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.