U.S. strike kills over 150 militants in Somalia

U.S. airstrikes in Somalia this weekend killed more than 150 militants at a training camp, the Pentagon said Monday.

The strikes were aimed at an al-Shabab training area where fighters were preparing to target U.S. and African forces.

The facility, called Raso Camp, had been under surveillance for weeks.

The airstrikes were carried out by drones and manned aircraft, according to a Pentagon statement.

“The fighters who were scheduled to depart the camp posed an imminent threat to U.S. and African Union Mission in Somalia forces in Somalia,” Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement.

Al-Shabab is an al-Qaeda-affiliated group that operates in Somalia, where a central government has struggled against Islamic militants for years.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the Saturday airstrikes against the al-Shabab camp came as fighters there were scheduled to depart, posing “an imminent threat to U.S. and African Union mission forces in Somalia.” READ MORE