BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:40 A.M.) – The US military has completed the withdrawal of its forces from Somalia, as confirmed by the US Africa Command.
The AFRICOM spokesman Colonel Christopher Karns confirmed that the reorganization of the forces had been completed before the deadline.
Karns said that there is still a “very limited” American presence in Somalia, stressing that “our focus remains firm and focused on Al-Shabaab .. It would not be wise for them to test us.”
In recent years, about 700 American soldiers in Somalia were assisting the Somali security forces in the war against Al-Shabaab, and they were also providing training for Somali special forces known as “DNB”.
US military officials said earlier that most of the personnel will be transferred to neighboring countries such as Kenya, but Karns did not provide a breakdown of where US forces were transferred to in Africa “due to ongoing operations.”
This latest move comes just a day before the end of US President Donald Trump’s tenure in office.
