TEHRAN, August 14 (MNA) – Somali officials and state media said on Sunday that 13 al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in an airstrike in central Somalia.The airstrike destroyed terrorist hideouts in the Hiran region, military officials told Anadolu Agency, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Somali National Television reported that the attack was conducted in coordination with the Somali military and killed 13 terrorists.

The US military has yet to confirm the airstrike, which would be its second in less than a week in Somalia.

Earlier this week, US Africa Command said it carried out “three airstrikes against al-Shabaab terrorists who attacked Somali National Army Forces near Beledweyne,” the capital of Hiran.

A statement said four terrorists were killed in the August 9 strikes.

Somalia has been grappling with increasing insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab being one of the main threats in the Horn of Africa country.

Since at least 2007, al-Shabaab has waged a deadly campaign against the Somali government and international forces that has claimed thousands of lives.

RHM/PR