U.S. airstrikes kill 62 al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. aircraft launched several airstrikes that killed 62 al-Shabab militants in Somalia over the weekend, military officials said Monday.

The attacks targeted known al-Shabab encampments and the latest assessments show no civilians were injured or killed.

Al-Shabab militants use the remote region as a safe haven to attack the people of Somalia.

"U.S. Africa Command and our Somali partners conducted these airstrikes to prevent terrorists from using remote areas as a safe haven to plot, direct, inspire or recruit for future attacks," U.S. Africa Command said in a statement. "In particular, the group uses portions of the southern and central Somalia to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, extort the populace to fund its operations and shelter radical terrorists."

On Saturday, U.S. aircraft killed 34 militants. On Sunday another 28 were killed, U.S. Africa Command said.