20120624
Press TV
At least 39 people have been killed in two US assassination drone attacks in Somalia, the latest of Washington's non-UN-sanctioned airstrikes in other countries, Press TV reports.


The attacks occurred on Friday when two US drone pounded al-Shabab’s Harweyne training base in Elasha Biyaha, the group’s stronghold on the outskirt of the capital, Mogadishu.

A senior member of the armed group confirmed the drone strikes and the death toll, adding that dozens more were also wounded in the attacks.

The US military uses remote-controlled drones in Somalia for reconnaissance operations and targeted killings.

Washington has been carrying out assassination drone attacks in other countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen.

The United States claims the CIA-run strikes are aimed at militants. But witness reports and figures offered by local authorities indicate the attacks are taking a heavy toll on civilians.

The United Nations has also condemned the drone strikes, saying they pose a challenge to international law.