On Saturday, Al-Shabaab released a 3-page statement claiming that the United States continues to attack “unarmed civilians” using drones.
The Al-Qaeda linked group says that “80 percent” of the drone attacks the US carries out in Somalia are against unarmed Somalis.
Over the years, the US military worked closely with AMISOM and Somali National Army to target Al-Shabaab through air surveillance.
In 2019, through AFRICOM, the US carried out a record 63 drone attacks in the country. Dozens of militants were killed as a result.
The militants have never stopped trying to topple the UN-backed government of Somali. Most of the airstrikes happened in remote villages, where Al-Shabaab militants hide.