Story highlights US Africa Command said the strike killed 13 terrorists

The strike comes as the US has become more involved in Somalia

(CNN) A US airstrike on Christmas Eve against the militant group al Shabaab in southern Somalia killed 13, US Africa Command said Wednesday.

The US said its forces conducted the airstrike in coordination with the government of Somalia and identified the 13 killed as terrorists.

"US forces will continue to use all authorized and appropriate measures to protect the United States, its partners and interests, and deny safe haven to terrorist groups," Africa Command said in a statement on the strike.

Earlier in December, a State Department official told CNN the US is cutting some military aid to Somalia due to allegations of misuse, a move that comes as the US has become more involved in Somalia, fighting the militant groups al Shabaab and ISIS with airstrikes and having some 500 US troops in the there to advise local forces.

US Africa Command said last month a US strike in Somalia killed more than 100 people it identified as al Shabaab militants. That strike came shortly after the US conducted its first known strike targeting ISIS in Somalia.

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