A U.S. service member has been killed during an operation against al-Shabab militants in Somalia

The U.S. military said Friday that the service member was killed near Barii, Somalia, approximately 40 miles west of Mogadishu.

The statement from the military’s Africa Command said U.S. forces were conducting an advise and assist mission alongside members of the Somali National Army.

A small number of U.S. military personnel are stationed in Somalia to help the Somali government combat al-Shabab.  The group is an affiliate of al-Qaida and has tried for a decade to topple the government and turn Somalia into a strict Islamic state.

 
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