20120812
Press TV
At least three civilians have been killed and 15 others injured in the latest attack by a US assassination drone in Somalia.

The Saturday attack took place in the southern town of Kul-biyow where the unmanned plane fired two missiles, hitting a civilian area as well as a base used by al-Shabab fighters.

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


Washington has been carrying out assassination attacks using the unmanned aircraft in other countries including Afghanistan, Libya, 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 have led to massive civilian deaths in these countries.

The UN has condemned the US assassination drone strikes, saying they pose a challenge to international law.


Strategically located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia remains among the ones generating the highest number of refugees and internally-displaced persons in the world.

The weak Western-backed transitional government in Mogadishu has been battling al-Shabab for the past five years and is propped up by a 12,000-strong AU force from Uganda, Burundi, and Djibouti.