US says airstrikes in Somalia kill 4 al-Shabab extremists US military says airstrikes in Somalia kill 4 al-Shabab extremists to defend Somali partners

JOHANNESBURG -- The United States military says it has carried out two airstrikes in Somalia that killed four al-Shabab extremists.

The U.S. Africa Command statement on Tuesday says Monday's airstrikes were in the vicinity of Baqdaad after the military's Somali partners "were engaged by al-Shabab militants." It does not say whether any of the partners were killed.

Another U.S. airstrike on Sunday killed six al-Shabab members near Dheerow Sanle in Lower Shabelle region.

The U.S. military says no civilians were injured or killed in any of these airstrikes.

The U.S. carried out at least 47 such airstrikes last year in the Horn of Africa nation.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab continues to control large parts of Somalia's southern and central regions and carry out deadly bombings against high-profile targets in the capital, Mogadishu.