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In particular, Pham will focus on combating the growing threat of violent extremism by boosting fragile governments in the region, their security forces and their legitimacy and control over their territory.

Outside of the Sahel, Townsend specifically called out al-Qaida's affiliate in Somalia, al-Shabaab, as a \"significant threat to American interests in the region\" that could \"manifest into an international threat,\" if left unchecked.

Al-Shabaab was behind the January attack on Manda Bay, Kenya, that killed three Americans.

Townsend said the group is also a threat to embassies in the region. And less than two weeks ago, the U.S. embassy in Kenya said terrorist groups were plotting an attack against a major hotel popular with westerners in Nairobi.

\"Al-Shabaab is the largest and most kinetically violent arm of al-Qaida,\" Townsend said. \"And they are a serious threat to not only the Somali people but to the entire region.\"

The U.S. military has ramped up airstrikes against al-Shabaab over the last several years, with more than two dozen strikes against the group in 2020 alone. According to Voice of America, the pace of strikes is nearly on par with those against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

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