At least 13 people have been killed in an attack by a US assassination drone in southern Somalia, Press TV reports.
The incident happened in Kismayo, a strategically important port city on Somalia's Indian Ocean coast on Monday.
According to Press TV correspondents, shortly after the strike, al-Shabab fighters carried out a surprise attack on Somali forces in the outskirts of Kismayo. A number of high-ranking military officers were killed and dozens wounded in the attack.
Al-Shabab fighters withdrew from the Kismayo earlier, saying the retreat was tactical and that they would strike back.
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.
The UN has condemned the US assassination drone strikes, saying they pose a challenge to international law.
The weak Western-backed transitional government in Mogadishu has been battling al-Shabab fighters for the past five years, and is propped up by a strong African Union force from Uganda, Burundi, and Djibouti.
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. 20121002 Press TV
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