Somalia says US forces snatch militants hit in drone strike

“But we are not complaining about that. Absolutely not. We welcome it,’’ Faqi said. “We understand the US’s need to quickly act on its intelligence on the ground,’’ he said. “We urge the US to continue its strikes against Al Shabab because if it keeps those strikes up, it will be easier for us to defeat Al Shabab.’’

US officials have increased their warnings that the threat from Somalia’s Al Shabab militant group is growing and that militants are developing stronger ties with the Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

New Pentagon chief Leon Panetta told lawmakers last month that as the core Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan undergoes leadership changes, with the killing of Osama bin Laden, the United States needs to make sure that the group does not relocate to Somalia.

The only American military base in Africa is in the tiny nation of Djibouti, which is on Somalia’s northern border. US troops can also operate from Navy ships moving through the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

In 2009, a US raid killed Al Qaeda fugitive Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, then commandos from helicopters rappelled to the ground and collected two bodies.

Faqi said the June 23 attack was carried out by a US drone, and US forces picked up militants who were either killed or injured. Residents in Kismayo reported hearing helicopters hovering overhead the night of the operation.

Faqi said the Somalia government would release the militants’ names when they are confirmed by DNA tests.

Rashid Abdi, a Somali expert with the International Crisis Group, said that if the drone strikes are conducted with “sensitivity’’ they would cripple Al Shabab without causing a public outcry about civilian deaths.

“Any increased foreign military involvement carries its own risks. However, short, sharp and surgical strikes to take out foreign jihadists or degrade Al Shabab may not be a bad thing,’’ he said. “Due care must be taken to avoid civilian deaths.’’