A U.S. service member was killed in Somalia on Thursday during a Somali-led mission against the Al Shabaab militant group, U.S. military officials said in statement released on Friday.

U.S. Africa Command said the service member died while U.S. forces were advising and assisting a Somali National Army operation about 40 miles (60 km) west of Mogadishu near Barii, Somalia.