U.S. forces carried out airstrikes in Somalia in order to target a senior Islamic State attack planner and other members of the militant group, killing many of them, President Donald Trump stated.
“These killers, who we found hiding in caves (in Somalia), threatened the United States and our Allies,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians.”
The strikes were carried out in the Golis Mountains in Somalia and an initial assessment indicated many militants were killed, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said. No civilians were harmed, he said.
The Somali president’s office said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was informed of the airstrike, and he wrote on social media that he extended his deepest gratitude for “the unwavering support of the United States in our shared fight against terrorism”.
“Your bold and decisive leadership, Mr. President, in counter-terrorism efforts is highly valued and welcomed in Somalia.”
The information minister for Puntland state in northern Somalia said the U.S. attack struck in the Cal Miskaad Mountains, part of the Golis range, and targeted Islamic State bases.
“The number of casualties is still unknown as it was dark. But our forces on the frontline could hear the sound of explosions,” the minister, Mohamud Aidid Dirir, told reporters.
Hegseth said the strikes in Somalia degraded Islamic State’s ability to plot and carry out attacks that threaten the United States, its partners and innocent civilians.
“(It) sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies, even as we conduct robust border-protection and many other operations under President Trump’s leadership,” he said in a statement.
The United States has periodically carried out airstrikes in Somalia for years, both under Republican and Democratic administrations. The U.S. had not been particularly active in Somalia under the Biden regime.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
