US military conducts airstrikes against Islamic State operatives in Somalia

The U.S. military conducted an airstrike against Islamic State (IS) militants in Somalia, marking the first such operation in the African nation during Donald Trump's second term as president. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Saturday local time that the U.S. Africa Command's airstrike was directly ordered by President Trump and was coordinated with the Somali government.

The Pentagon's initial assessment indicates that the airstrike killed "multiple" militants. The Pentagon also stated that there were no civilian casualties in the airstrike. President Trump posted on social media that the target of the operation was a senior Islamic State planner and some newly recruited members.

Trump stated in his post, "The airstrike destroyed the cave where they lived, killing many terrorists, and did not harm civilians in any way." He also said, "Our military has been tracking this Islamic State attack planner for years, but Biden and his cronies were not fast enough to get the job done. I did it! The message to Islamic State and anyone else who wants to attack Americans is: 'We will find you, and we will kill you!'" Trump did not disclose the identity of the Islamic State planner or whether this individual was killed in the airstrike.

The office of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated that the operation "strengthens the strong security partnership between the two countries in combating the threat of extremism." Somalia stated in a post on X that Somalia "remains steadfast in working with allies to eliminate international terrorism and ensure regional stability."

The U.S. counterterrorism strategy in Africa is under pressure as two key partners, Chad and Niger, expelled U.S. forces last year. These two countries have taken over key bases that U.S. forces previously used to train and conduct missions against terrorist groups in the Sahel region. U.S. military officials have warned that the Islamic State organization's leadership is increasing its guidance to local Islamic State affiliates after moving to northern Somalia. This includes how to kidnap Westerners for ransom, learn better military tactics, evade drones, and manufacture their own small quadcopters.

The Islamic State affiliate in Somalia split from al-Qaeda's East African affiliate, al-Shabaab, in 2015. Although its influence is relatively limited compared to al-Shabaab, the Islamic State in Somalia has been involved in attacks in southern and central Somalia. The group funds its activities through extortion, smuggling, and illegal taxation. Despite counterterrorism pressure from Somali security forces, the group remains active in remote and urban areas, seeking to expand its influence through recruitment and propaganda.

According to the International Crisis Group, the number of Islamic State militants in the country is estimated to be in the hundreds, mainly dispersed in the Cal Miskat mountains in the Bari region of Puntland.