A Friday attack in Jubaland, Somalia, that killed one U.S. soldier and injured four more was claimed Saturday by al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked extremist group that seeks to overthrow the Somali government. The American special operations forces were fighting with Somali and Kenyan troops to expel al Shabaab from villages in the area and "establish a permanent combat outpost."
President Trump tweeted his condolences later Friday:
The U.S. has about 500 troops in Somalia, a dramatic build-up over recent years. Read more about U.S. military activity in Somalia here at The Week.