CIA paramilitary officer killed during operations against al-Shabab in Somalia

A CIA paramilitary officer was killed in operations involving the terror group al-Shabab in Somalia, according to intelligence sources. 

The American, a former Navy SEAL, was hurt within the past week, and died from his injuries, the sources told Just the News. 

The U.S. and Somalia have worked in tandem in recent years to fight al-Shabab, an extremist group with ties to al-Qaeda.

"Al Shabab is the largest and most violent of al Qaeda's branches worldwide," the U.S. Africa Command chief, Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, said in February at the African Land Forces Summit in Ethiopia. "They have attacked innocent civilians throughout the region and have a desire to attack Americans and U.S. interests in the world."

The command reported in September “a definitive shift” in al-Shabab’s efforts to attack U.S. interests, using ambushes, hit-and-run attacks, and improvised explosive device (IED) operations. 

The CIA reportedly has sent paramilitary fighters to repel al-Shabab's insurgency against the government in Mogadishu.

The CIA has not confirmed the slain officer's identity, and has not issued a statement about his death. The CIA did not immediately respond to a request from Just the News.