The joint U.S. Special Operations raid in southern Somalia that claimed the life of Senior Chief Petty Officer, Kyle Milliken, a member of the Joint Special Operations Command’s (JSOC) elite SEAL Team 6 was targeting one of the al-Qaeda linked Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen top regional commanders in southern Somalia.

SEAL Team 6 (ST6) was in direct support of Somali National Army special forces when the joint operation came under heavy fire from al-Shabaab militants, two other U.S. Special Operations members and a Somali-American interpreter were also wounded in the ensuing fire-fight.

The primary target was senior al-Shabaab commander, Moalim Osman Abdi Badil who was in command of al-Shabaab forces for the Lower Shabelle region of southern Somalia. During the ensuing gun fight that claimed one SEAL operator, Badil and three of his subordinate commanders were killed.