Wed Dec 17 14:10:24 UTC 2025: News Article:
Trump Administration Dramatically Escalates Airstrikes in Somalia, Raising Civilian Casualty Concerns
Washington D.C. – The Trump administration has significantly ramped up the United States’ military air campaign in Somalia, exceeding the combined strike totals of the Bush, Obama, and Biden administrations. According to the New America Foundation, the U.S. has conducted 111 strikes against armed groups in Somalia since President Trump returned to office.
The escalation began in February, marked by a “largest air strike in the history of the world” from an aircraft carrier. The strikes target both al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate controlling large areas of south-central Somalia, and a smaller ISIL (ISIS) offshoot concentrated in the northeast.
The surge in strikes follows a directive giving AFRICOM commanders greater authority to launch attacks, reversing Biden-era restrictions. Analysts suggest the White House is pushing for increased offensive action with less oversight.
A significant portion of the strikes supports a US-backed campaign against ISIL-Somalia, while others target al-Shabaab’s advances against Somali government forces. However, the intensified campaign has sparked concerns about civilian casualties. Reports indicate that U.S. airstrikes and Somali forces may have killed at least 11 civilians, including children, in a November operation. The U.S. military has ceased providing civilian casualty assessments in its strike announcements.
The pace of operations now surpasses even U.S. counter-narcotics strikes in the Caribbean. The escalation occurs amidst President Trump’s recent verbal attacks on Somali immigrants in Minnesota, where federal authorities are preparing an immigration crackdown. These comments have been widely denounced.
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