The U.S. military has increased its airstrikes on terrorists in Somalia more than four times the average over the previous seven years, Defense One reported.
According to Defense One, the U.S. Africa Command reported 14 strikes since August have brought the year's total to 18. The strikes have largely been carried out by drones, and no official number of fatalities has been released, the outlet reported.
The Bureau for Investigative Journalism estimates the death toll is between 88 and 124 from nearly 30 strikes this year — far more than the Pentagon claims.
The increase comes as ISIS has lost nearly all of its territory across Iraq and Syria — Defense One reported — and in the wake of President Donald Trump's order in March that "allows the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct lethal action against al-Shabab within a geographically defined area of active hostilities in support of partner forces in Somalia."
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