The United States military carried out airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) operatives in Somalia on Saturday, targeting a senior IS attack planner and other militants in the country’s northern region. President Donald Trump announced the operation on social media.
“These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians,” Trump Wrote on social media.
This morning I ordered precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia. These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in,…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 1, 2025
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the operation, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stating that the airstrikes were conducted at Trump’s direction and in coordination with Somalia’s federal government. According to an initial Pentagon assessment, multiple IS operatives were killed in the attack, and there were no reported civilian casualties.
Unlike previous counterterrorism operations in Somalia, which have frequently involved drone strikes, this mission was carried out by manned fighter aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, stationed in the Red Sea, along with Air Force fighter jets. U.S. officials, speaking to ABC News, confirmed that the strikes targeted IS positions in the Golis Mountains, a known militant stronghold in northern Somalia.
The office of Somalia’s president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, acknowledged the U.S. operation in a post on X, stating “I extend my deepest gratitude for the unwavering support of the United States in our shared fight against terrorism.” The Somali government also expressed appreciation for U.S. support in counterterrorism efforts and affirmed its commitment to working with allies to combat international terrorism.
https://t.co/kwqCitTQ9m pic.twitter.com/YMUtfSEk38
— Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (@HassanSMohamud) February 1, 2025
Hegseth stated that Saturday’s strikes “further degrade” IS’s ability to plan and execute attacks and send “a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists.” Trump echoed that sentiment in his social media post, stating, “The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’”
The Islamic State faction in Somalia emerged in 2015 as a breakaway group from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab, which remains the dominant militant organization in the region. While IS has a smaller presence in Somalia compared to al-Shabab, it has been involved in attacks across the country, financing its operations through extortion, smuggling, and illicit taxation. The U.S. has previously warned that IS cells in Somalia have received guidance from the group’s leadership on kidnapping, military tactics, and avoiding detection by surveillance drones.
This operation marks the first known U.S. airstrike in Somalia during Trump’s second term and comes amid broader concerns about militant activity in Africa. The Pentagon’s counterterrorism strategy in the region has been strained following the loss of key military partnerships with Chad and Niger, where recent coups have led to the ousting of U.S. forces.
While no details were provided on the identities of those killed in the strikes, Trump indicated that the targeted IS planner had been under U.S. surveillance for years. He also criticized the Biden administration for not acting sooner, stating, “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!”
