One American special operations soldier was killed and four wounded in Somalia earlier Friday when they and Somali and Kenyan allies were attacked with mortar and small-arms fire while clearing a contested area of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, U.S. Africa Command reported.
"One of the wounded U.S service members received sufficient medical care in the field. Three U.S. service members and the one partner force wounded were medically evacuated to receive additional treatment," the command said in a statement.
Names of the casualties are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The American forces were operating alongside some 800 members of the Somali National Security Forces and Kenyan Defense Force when the attack took place about 350 kilometers southwest of the capital of Mogadishu, the statement said.
"The population in the region had historically supported the government and the Somali forces had prepared for this mission by coordinating heavily with and securing the support of local authorities ahead of time," it added. "The overarching goal in Somalia for the Department of Defense is to help the [federal government of Somalia] provide a safe and secure environment for the Somali population."
The shadowy role of American special operations troops in Africa has come under greater scrutiny since an ambush in Niger last fall left four Americans dead.
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