...KABOOM!...
s on a vessel transporting advanced conventional weapons to al-Shabaab
... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...
The operation, conducted on April 16 in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, targeted a flagless vessel and a smaller support boat, AFRICOM said in a statement.
The weapons on board were intended for the al-Qaeda-linked group and posed an "imminent threat" to Somali and U.S. forces in the region, the command added.
"No civilians were harmed, according to an initial assessment," AFRICOM said, adding that specific details of the units and assets involved would not be released for security reasons.
Al-Shabaab has been fighting for years to topple the Somali government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law. The U.S. regularly conducts airstrikes in Somalia in support of Somali government forces.