Sun Feb 02 01:22:19 UTC 2025: **Trump Orders US Airstrikes in Somalia Targeting ISIS Operatives**
**Washington, D.C. – February 2, 2025** – The U.S. military conducted airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) operatives in Somalia on February 1st, marking the first such attacks in the country during President Donald Trump’s second term. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the strikes, carried out by U.S. Africa Command, were authorized by President Trump and coordinated with the Somali government.
The Pentagon reported that “multiple” ISIS operatives were killed, with no civilian casualties. President Trump, in a social media post, claimed the strikes targeted a senior ISIS planner and recruits, destroying their caves. He attributed the action to his own decisiveness, contrasting it with what he characterized as inaction by the Biden administration. The White House has yet to officially comment.
The Somali presidency welcomed the operation, highlighting the strong security partnership between the two nations in combating extremist threats. The strikes come amidst a challenging counterterrorism landscape in Africa, following the expulsion of U.S. forces from key bases in Chad and Niger last year.
U.S. officials have noted an increase in direction from ISIS leadership based in northern Somalia, instructing affiliates on tactics such as kidnapping Westerners and evading drone surveillance. The ISIS affiliate in Somalia, a splinter group from al-Shabaab, is active primarily in Puntland, with an estimated membership in the hundreds. They finance their activities through criminal means such as extortion and smuggling.
The airstrikes follow similar actions in Syria on January 30th, targeting an al-Qaeda operative. The ongoing challenges of counterterrorism in the region, and the evolving tactics of ISIS in Somalia, remain key concerns for U.S. military strategists.
First Piper 