Airstrikes by the United States military in Somalia’s northern Golis Mountains have resulted in the deaths of “key figures” within the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group, according to the government of the semi-autonomous Puntland region, Al Jazeera reports.
The strikes, ordered by former US President Donald Trump, targeted what he described as a senior ISIS attack planner and other terrorists.
The operations mark a significant step in ongoing efforts to combat the group’s growing presence in the region. While ISIS has a smaller footprint in Somalia than the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab, experts have been raising concerns about its increasing activity.
The US military action comes as Puntland Security Forces (PSF) have been conducting operations against ISIS in the Golis Mountains since December. The regional government stated that the recent strikes were crucial to their efforts.
Trump, on his Truth Social platform, claimed the strikes “destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians.” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed this, stating that the action “further degrades ISIS’s ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilian”.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud expressed his gratitude for US support in the fight against terrorism.
Despite its smaller influence compared to al-Shabab, ISIS has been responsible for attacks in southern and central Somalia. The group is known to fund its operations through extortion, smuggling, and illicit taxation, particularly in coastal areas where it has attempted to control local businesses.
Despite pressure from Somali security forces, US airstrikes and competition from al-Shabab, ISIS continues to operate in both rural and urban areas, seeking to expand its influence through recruitment and propaganda. The group’s strength is estimated to be in the hundreds, primarily scattered in the Cal Miskaad Mountains. The International Crisis Group has highlighted the group’s continued presence and expansion efforts.
