US Special Forces Kill 10 Extremists in Somalia

More news about our special forces and the damage they are doing over in the ME- interesting how they have been so quiet for so long and all of a sudden, BREAKING NEWS!!

The article also stated that we have had our SF team over there for the last several years.

Roughly 50 U.S. special operations troops have been operating in Somalia on a rotational basis for the last few years. The raid came only three days after the U.S. carried out an air strike on an al-Shabab training camp that the Pentagon said killed about 150 of its members.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, where did I hear, "there will be no boots on the ground" ???

Hoping to capture a high-profile target, U.S. special forces hopped off helicopters a couple of miles (kilometers) from an al-Shabab-controlled town, slipped through the dark and then got into a fierce firefight that reportedly killed more than 10 Islamic extremists.

A Somali intelligence official told The Associated Press that the person they wanted to get was apparently killed during the fight.

"It was a high-profile target, and chances of capture were challenged by a stiff resistance by militants guarding the house targeted by the special forces, which forced the commando to resort to the kill or capture method," the official said. He spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press on the matter.

Another Somali intelligence official provided a similar account to AP. The exact target of the raid, if any, remains unclear.

L I N K

a reply to: ReadLeader

Is it just me that found irony in your thread title?

Extremists killing other extremists?

One does it for money while blindly following orders, the others for religion and money while also blindly believing whatever they've been told.

They are all cowards to me.

Pick your poison.

Like sheep to the slaughter...

a reply to: ReadLeader

It's been an open secret that we've been operating in Africa for years. We've had a base with F-15Es rotating through for over 10 years in Djibouti. Every so often there's a blurb about a SOCOM aircraft having an accident, or the Eagle unit rotating out.

www.wired.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Great info Zaph!!! thanks for posting!!!!

Since 2007, Predator drones and the larger, more powerful Reapers — reinforced by Ravens and Scan Eagle UAVs and Fire Scout robot helicopters plus a small number of huge, high-flying Global Hawks — have hunted Somali jihadists on scores of occasions. It’s part of a broader campaign of jet bombing runs, naval gun bombardment, cruise-missile attacks, raids by Special Operations Forces and assistance to regional armies such as Uganda’s.

a reply to: ReadLeader

U-28 crash Djibouti in Feb 2012.

www.wired.com...

ISC soldier killed in Mali, April 2012.

www.washingtonpost.com... y.html


C212 emergency landing Uganda.

theaviationist.com...

There are several uav accidents as well.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: ReadLeader

It's been an open secret that we've been operating in Africa for years. We've had a base with F-15Es rotating through for over 10 years in Djibouti. Every so often there's a blurb about a SOCOM aircraft having an accident, or the Eagle unit rotating out.

www.wired.com...

Yeah the US is all over Africa. Now that the African Union has become NATO's junior partner US depots and supply points are all over allowing the US/NATO to pop in move a bunch of AU forces where they need to go and then support them with air/drones/SF. And when things get ugly, like the attack on Kenyan troops in Somalia the US steps in with much more public operation and then slips back into its support role. Works well as for the most part Africans are taking care of African problems.

Looks like the article has been updated:

U.S. forces were serving in an advisory role and provided the helicopter transportation for the mission, said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. The U.S. forces accompanied the Somali troops on the mission, but did not "go all the way to the objective," he said.

The spokesman for the U.S. Africa Command, Col. Mark Cheadle, said the U.S. forces got out of the aircraft but "stayed in a safe area to observe the actions on the objective."

He said the U.S. forces did not fire their weapons during the mission. He said the Somali troops successfully conducted the mission.

Now it appears that the Somali troops did all the fighting and killing. US Special Forces were only "advisors."

-dex

a reply to: ReadLeader

Predator drones and the larger, more powerful Reapers — reinforced by Ravens and Scan Eagle UAVs and Fire Scout robot helicopters plus a small number of huge, high-flying Global Hawks

Are all of those aircraft drones? I didn't know the US had such an assortment of robotic aircraft.

-dex

a reply to: DexterRiley

There are dozens. From hand launched with a short loiter time to the Global Hawk, which cruises over 60,000 feet and can stay on station for days.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: ReadLeader

It's been an open secret that we've been operating in Africa for years.

We will be mixing it up with China in Africa more and more over the next two decades. AFRICOM is really getting beefed up, as is 3rd SF. It's not as much a bastard stepchild as it used to be.

It seems the US Special Forces were only advising troops, so not direct combat.

He said the U.S. forces did not fire their weapons during the mission. He said the Somali troops successfully conducted the mission.

And by the way, I'd like to thank you for using "special forces" in the right context.

For those of you who don't know:

US Special Operations Forces encompass Navy SEALs and DevGru, Army Green Berets, Rangers, and Delta, MARSOC, Air Force 160th, etc.

US Special Forces are specifically referring to US Green Berets. Media gets it wrong all the time.