Nine civilians killed in US drone strike against Somalia

Kismaayo:-Eyewitnesses in the southern Somali port city of Kismayo have reported a number of missile strikes, apparently fired by U.S. drones in and around the city. Terrified residents say that several loud explosions were heard in the area. 

Al-Shabab, which is in control of the area, says the drones hit on the outskirts of the town and killed at least nine civilians, including women and children. 30 others were reported wounded in the strikes.

Separate attacks were reported even further south, with Kenyan helicopter gunships targeting the Elwak region near the border. Al-Shabab insists that the Kenyan attacks were nowhere near any of their positions.

The U.S. began launching drone strikes against targets within Somalia in late June, the latest in a growing number of nations which now have constant US drones flying overhead, launching attacks with no real oversight against whoever they believe needs killing at any given time. Antiwar

FACTS & FIGURES

The CIA now operates Predator and Reaper unmanned aircraft, armed with Hellfire missiles, over at least five countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and Libya. CNAS.org

The clandestine American military campaign to combat al-Qaeda’s franchise in Yemen is expanding to fight the militancy in Somalia, the New York Times reported in July.

American military and intelligence officials view Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and Somalia as a greater threat to the United States than the group of operatives in Pakistan who have been barraged with hundreds of drone strikes directed by the Central Intelligence Agency in recent years.

Press.TV