Washington, D.C. – The U.S. military conducted airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) operatives in Somalia, marking the first such attack in the country under President Donald Trump’s second term.
According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the strikes were carried out by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) under Trump’s directive and in coordination with the Somali government. An initial Pentagon assessment confirmed that multiple IS operatives were killed, with no civilian casualties reported.
Trump addressed the operation in a social media post, stating that the strikes targeted a senior IS planner and new recruits.
“The strikes destroyed the caves they live in and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians. Our Military has targeted this ISIS Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did!” Trump wrote. “The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’”
The Pentagon has not yet confirmed the identity of the IS planner targeted or whether they were among those killed. White House officials have not responded to requests for comment.
Escalating IS Presence in Somalia
The airstrikes come amid rising concerns over IS activity in Somalia, particularly in the Cal Miskaat mountains of Puntland’s Bari region. U.S. officials warn that Somali IS cells have been receiving direct guidance from the group’s leadership on military tactics, drone evasion, and hostage-taking for ransom.
The Pentagon’s counterterrorism strategy in Africa has faced challenges after the expulsion of U.S. forces from key bases in Chad and Niger last year, disrupting military operations across the Sahel. Despite these setbacks, U.S. forces continue to target terrorist threats in the region.
Recent Counterterrorism Operations
The Somalia strikes follow a January 30 U.S. operation in northwest Syria, where a senior operative of Hurras al-Din, an al-Qaeda affiliate, was killed. A similar U.S. airstrike in Somalia last May resulted in the deaths of three IS militants.
The impact of the latest strikes remains under assessment, but U.S. military officials reaffirm their commitment to countering terrorist threats in Somalia and beyond.
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