Reference News website reported on May 22 that according to a report from the Stars and Stripes website on May 20, a senior US Navy officer said that the aircraft carrier Harry Truman and its task force recently launched "the largest ever based air strike" near Somalia.
Acting Chief of Naval Operations James Kilby said at a meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations that the Harry Truman aircraft carrier and its task force fired about 125,000 pounds (1 pound is approximately 0.45 kilograms) of ammunition towards Somalia.
According to data from the US military, the Africa Command responsible for military operations in this area is launching air strikes against Somalia at an unprecedented rate in an attempt to stop the influx of Islamic State militants into Somalia.
The report shows that since January this year, the Africa Command has launched 25 strikes on Somalia, many of which targeted Islamic State militants. If this intensity of bombing continues, the number of strikes conducted by the Africa Command this time will exceed the number of strikes on Somalia in 2019 (63 times).
A spokesperson for the US military told Stars and Stripes earlier this month that over the past 18 months, the number of members of the Islamic State organization in Somalia has grown from around 500 to 1500, with about 60% coming from abroad.
The Africa Command said on May 3: "The Islamic State organization in Somalia has shown their willingness and ability to attack US troops. Therefore, the Africa Command will continue to take action against them jointly with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali armed forces in order to weaken the organization's ability to attack and threaten the United States homeland, US troops, and overseas American citizens."
Kilby also said that at the same time, the Harry Truman aircraft carrier task force also played a crucial role in preventing the Houthi armed group from disrupting Red Sea shipping. He said that during the five months the aircraft carrier was on duty in the Red Sea, it conducted 670 strikes and intercepted about 160 enemy drones and missiles.
Kilby said: "The Houthi armed group is a threat, and they are attacking our ships. Understanding this situation, not taking it lightly, and being prepared is our current priority." (Translated by Pan Xiaoyan)
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7507097035993219599/
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