Somalia

MOGADISHU, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government on Tuesday accused the United Nations special envoy of "violating protocols" and "deliberately interfering" in the internal affairs of the Horn of Africa country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation declared Nicholas Haysom, special representative of the UN secretary-general for Somalia, a "persona non-grata," saying the UN envoy is not welcome in the nation.

The ministry said in a statement that the 66-year-old is unwanted and cannot operate in the country.

MOGADISHU, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States army said Monday it conducted a total of six airstrikes over the weekend, killing 62 al-Shabab militants in a region southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.

The U.S. Africa Command (Africom) said no civilian was killed in the latest strikes which were carried out on Saturday and Sunday in coordination with Somali government in the vicinity of Gandarshe, about 48 km southwest of Mogadishu.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The U.S. military says it has killed eight members of the al-Shabab extremist group with an airstrike south of Somalia’s capital.

The U.S. Africa Command statement says the airstrike occurred on Saturday near Gandarshe, a coastal community. The statement says no civilians were involved.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military says it killed a total of 37 Islamic extremists in two airstrikes in Somalia.

U.S. Africa Command, which carries out counterterrorism missions in Somalia and elsewhere in Africa, said in a statement Tuesday that both airstrikes were conducted on Monday.

It said 27 members of the al-Shabab extremist group were killed in the first strike and 10 in the second. It said it believes no civilians were killed or injured.

Africa Command said the airstrikes were carried out in coordination with the government of Somalia.