U.S. forces launched several airstrikes in northern Somalia, targeting members of the Islamic State’s branch in the country. U.S. Africa Command as well as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation on Saturday. It’s the first American military operation in Somalia announced by the Trump administration; Trump’s previous presidency saw extensive aerial strikes inside the African nation.
The attacks took place in Somalia’s Puntland state in the north, with Hegseth specifying they occurred within the Gholis mountain range. The strikes killed “multiple” ISIS operatives, AFRICOM said, although it did not go into details on who they were. President Donald Trump said on social media that the operation targeted a senior ISIS planner.
The exact military assets used were not specified, however AFRICOM released photos of Carrier Air Wing 1 operating onboard the USS Harry S. Truman with its announcement. That air wing and the Truman Carrier Strike Group has been operating in the Red Sea and other waters around Yemen and Somalia for several weeks as part of the military’s fight against the Houthi movement in Yemen.
AFRICOM said its initial assessment found that no civilians were harmed but did not share any additional details on the operation. The office of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also confirmed the airstrikes on X and said he was informed by the United States.
The airstrikes come after U.S. forces carried out an airstrike in northwest Syria on Jan. 30, killing a leader of the al-Qaeda affiliate group Hurras-al-Din. That was the first announced military action under Trump.
During Trump’s first administration the United States carried out a large number of drone strikes, airstrikes and special operations missions inside Somalia, 219 in total. His first term saw a major increase in the number of drone strikes over his predecessor Barack Obama, who in turn escalated the drone war beyond that of George W. Bush.
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