MOGADISHU, Somalia — Al-Shabab has rejected U.S. military claims that a recent drone strike killed one of its operatives in northeastern Somalia.
The group said the individual targeted in the September 13 strike in Badhan, Sanaag region, was not affiliated with the al-Qaeda-linked militant organization.
In a statement, Al-Shabab described the man as a respected elder and accused the U.S. of falsely labeling him a militant facilitator.
“This is a baseless fabrication aimed at justifying his killing and the continued targeting of Somali elders,” the group said Thursday.
Al-Shabab further accused the U.S. of a consistent pattern of misidentifying airstrike victims to support its counterterrorism narrative in Somalia.
It referenced a 2016 U.S. strike near Galkayo that killed 13 fighters later identified as members of a regional administration, not militants.
The group denounced U.S. involvement in Somalia, claiming it contributes to instability and leads to the deaths of civilians and community leaders.
The U.S. military in Africa (AFRICOM) has not responded to the statement but previously said the strike killed a known Al-Shabab weapons facilitator with no civilian casualties.
The incident comes amid ongoing U.S. support for Somali forces battling Al-Shabab, which maintains control in large parts of central and southern Somalia.