{"id":22259,"date":"2020-03-11T14:13:49","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T14:13:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/03\/11\/us-warplanes-pummeling-al-shabab-fighters-in-somalia-as-jihadi-group-poses-increasing-threat\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:08:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:08:40","slug":"us-warplanes-pummeling-al-shabab-fighters-in-somalia-as-jihadi-group-poses-increasing-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/03\/11\/us-warplanes-pummeling-al-shabab-fighters-in-somalia-as-jihadi-group-poses-increasing-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"US warplanes pummeling al-Shabab fighters in Somalia as jihadi group poses increasing threat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With concerns that al-Shabab is a growing threat to the U.S. and its interests, U.S. Africa Command is increasing the pace of strikes in Somalia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been 26 strikes in Somalia<\/a> so far this year. Navy Lt. Christina Gibson, a spokeswoman for AFRICOM, told Military Times that the current pace of strikes \u201clightly exceeds last year\u2019s pace.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between January and March of 2019 AFRICOM carried out 28 strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Tuesday, Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, the commander of U.S. Africa Command, told Voice of America reporter Carla Babb<\/a> that the Shabab threat has increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would say that the threat is higher, has been higher in the last few months than it was eight months ago when I first got to AFRICOM. That\u2019s exactly why you\u2019ve seen this increase in strike activity,\u201d Townsend told VOA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American warplanes are pummeling al-Shabab following a brazen raid on the Manda Bay, Kenya, airfield in January and an attack on the Baledogle<\/a> air base in Somalia, which houses American commandos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Americans were killed in the Manda Bay attack including a U.S. soldier. Marine Raiders<\/a> whisked to the airfield beat back the attackers in an intense gun battle. The Pentagon has since decided to beef up security around the base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last several years the U.S. has steadily increased its air campaign targeting Shabab \u2014 suggesting the group is on the rise and worrying military commanders the Islamic militants may pose a significant threat outside of Somalia and the Horn of Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\t