Jane Ferguson:

The soldiers patrolling this dangerous road are a long way from home. They are Ugandans, stationed here in Malia as part of an African Union peacekeeping force.

They search for bombs planted by fighters from Al-Shabaab, Somalia's powerful Islamist militant group. Allied with al-Qaida, Al-Shabaab gunmen have enjoyed a freedom here few armed groups have had anywhere in the world, ruling over swathes of this country for years, attacking the central government's security forces, and even making videos to celebrate their attacks.

The African Union troops have been here for 12 years, and aren't alone in this fight. They work alongside the Somali national army, local militias, and, increasingly, Americans. The U.S. military began conducting drone strikes and Special Forces raids here under the Obama administration.

Since President Trump entered the White House, the drone strikes have more than doubled from 14 in 2016 to at least 34 in 2017. Last November, U.S. boots on the ground officially increased from 50 to 500. American commanders say they want to prevent Somalia from becoming a hub for other groups like ISIS.

In May 2017, U.S. Navy SEAL Kyle Milliken was killed during an operation against Al-Shabaab. His was the first U.S. military death in Somalia since the Black Hawk Down incident in 1993, where 18 U.S. soldiers were killed in clashes with local fighters.

It is believed that at least hundreds of Somalis died also that day.