An airstrike killed 27 al-Shabab militants in Somalia, U.S. Africa Command said in a statement Sept. 21, 2022. (AFRICOM)

A U.S. airstrike killed 27 militants in Somalia, the military said this week.

The strike was launched over the weekend against al-Shabab terrorists who were attacking Somali troops near Buulobarde, in the central part of the country, U.S. Africa Command said in a statement Wednesday.

The strike Sunday came in support of the Somali army and an African Union force involved in an operation to regain the initiative against the militants in central Somalia.

AFRICOM said those troops are taking part in the largest combined Somali and African Union offensive operation in five years. 

For two decades, militants linked to al-Qaida have been waging a campaign against the Somali central government. In recent years, AFRICOM has stepped up its military support in Somalia, where it routinely carries out airstrikes.