By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON/MOGADISHU (Worthy News) — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he ordered airstrikes on targets of the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, in Somalia, claiming the operation eliminated “many terrorists.”
Trump made the announcement on his social media platforms, Truth Social and Platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This morning, I ordered precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia,” Trump wrote. “These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies.”
He added that the strikes “destroyed the caves they live in and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians.”
Trump criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for allegedly not acting sooner, claiming the U.S. had been targeting the planner for years
“Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did! The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’” Trump added.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explained in separate remarks that the airstrikes occurred in the Golis Mountains in the autonomous Puntland region of northern Somalia.
SOMALI GOVERNMENT
He said the operation was carried out “in coordination” with the Somali government.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh’s office confirmed that the U.S. had “informed” them about the strikes.
Saturday’s airstrike, the first against Islamic State in Somalia so far this year, was carried out by fighter jets launched from the warship USS Harry S. Truman, currently in the Red Sea, according to defense officials.
It comes as Somali forces in Puntland continue a military offensive against ISIS militants hiding in the Cal-Miskaad mountains.
Puntland also thanked the United Arab Emirates, which they say “provided air support” to the ongoing offensive.
The operations, which started in late December, drove militants from vast areas in the northeastern highlands of Somalia, sources said.
The militants, many of them foreigners, have claimed to be carrying out attacks against Puntland forces.
FIERCEST CLASHES
The fiercest clashes occurred late last week when the regional forces dislodged the militants from Turmasaale, a strategic location about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Bosaso.
The Somali government called Saturday’s airstrikes by the U.S. “a critical step in our shared fight against terrorism.”
Since 2022, Somalia has been home to al-Karrar, one of nine regional Islamic State offices established to help sustain the terror group’s capabilities. As a result, Islamic State Somalia has become a key instrument in the ISIS financial network, funneling money to affiliates in Afghanistan and elsewhere in Africa.
Experts say it also has become more influential under the leadership of Abdulkadir Mumin, a former militant with the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, who is thought to now head Islamic State’s directorate of provinces, overseeing the terror group’s affiliates in Africa.
Some U.S. officials worry Mumin has risen even higher, perhaps acting as the Islamic State’s top emir. Others disagree, but sources familiar with the situation agree that Mumin is a pivotal figure.
The U.S. previously targeted Mumin in May of last year.
Recent intelligence assessments have shown that Islamic State Somalia has more than doubled in size over the past year and may now boast up to as many as 1,600 fighters, bolstered by an influx of fighters from Ethiopia, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, and Yemen.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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