The United States military conducted airstrikes targeting Islamic State group operatives in Somalia, as announced by President Donald Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social. The strikes were aimed at a senior ISIS attack planner and other terrorists associated with him in the region.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the airstrikes were focused on IS-Somalia operatives located in the Golis mountains within the semi-autonomous Puntland area. In his statement, Hegseth provided an initial assessment, suggesting that multiple operatives were killed as a result of the strikes and confirmed that there were no civilian casualties.
Local military commanders corroborated the airstrikes, although they indicated that the exact number of casualties remained uncertain. Mohamed Ali, a military commander in the Bossaso area, reported to AFP that the strikes appeared to have successfully targeted the intended individuals. He emphasized that the strikes likely resulted in the deaths of key terrorist figures, including foreign nationals who had been pursued by Puntland forces in recent days.
Abdirahman Adan, a member of the Somali military in a nearby location, recounted hearing “five loud explosions” followed by smoke rising from the targeted site. Details from Puntland’s official sources regarding the airstrikes have not yet been provided.
The objective of these operations, according to Hegseth, is to diminish ISIS’s capability to plan and execute terrorist actions that threaten U.S. citizens, allies, and innocent civilians. He underscored America’s commitment to neutralizing threats posed by terrorists.
While the Islamic State maintains a smaller footprint in Somalia relative to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab, experts have expressed concerns about an uptick in activity associated with ISIS in the region. Trump reiterated a strong message to potential adversaries, stating, “WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!”
