A U.S. serviceman was killed and two were wounded in a clash with al Shabaab militants in Somalia, the U.S. military said on Friday, in what appeared to be the first American casualties in the country since the 1993 "Black Hawk Down" disaster.

The White House has granted the U.S. military broader authority to carry out strikes in Somalia against al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, the latest sign President Donald Trump is increasing U.S. military engagement in the region.

U.S. Africa Command said the serviceman was killed by small arms fire on Thursday while U.S. forces were advising and assisting a Somali National Army operation in Barii about 40 miles (60 km) west of Mogadishu.

Read more: Reuters