Trump orders airstrikes on ISIS in northern Somalia

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The New York Times
2 Feb 2025 04:29
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US airstrikes in Somalia target ISIS operatives, including a senior leader.

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This photo provided by United States Africa Command, the US military conducts coordinated airstrikes against ISIS operatives in Somalia on Saturday, February 1, 2025. (U.S. Africa Command via AP)

President Donald Trump authorized airstrikes on Saturday against ISIS in northern Somalia, marking the first major US military action overseas during his presidency, on Saturday.

The strikes, conducted by Navy and Air Force warplanes, including F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, targeted the remote Golis Mountains in northern Somalia. According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the military’s initial assessment claimed that multiple ISIS operatives were killed, and no civilians were harmed.

Trump framed the operation as a critical move to degrade ISIS’s ability to plan and carry out attacks that threaten US citizens and allies. The strikes, however, appeared more symbolic than substantive, aimed at bolstering Trump’s image as a decisive commander-in-chief in his first few weeks in office, The New York Times (NYT) reported, citing US defense and military officials. Officials suggested the operation was more about signaling strength against terrorism than neutralizing an imminent threat, however, at least one senior operative was reportedly killed.

Although ISIS’s presence in Somalia is smaller than the far more prominent al-Shabab group, which has deep ties to Al-Qaeda, the US has increasingly turned its focus to ISIS in the region. On Thursday, US Central Command reported the death of a senior operative in Syria, and Saturday’s airstrikes were seen as part of broader counterterrorism efforts in the wake of rising concerns about ISIS's resurgence. Trump specifically highlighted the death of a "Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists" in the strike, claiming they were "hiding in caves."

The action comes as part of Trump’s broader response to international terrorism, especially following the January ISIS-inspired attack in New Orleans. Counterterrorism analysts emphasized that Trump needed to display strength on global security, particularly as he faced mounting criticism for his handling of the Syrian conflict and troop withdrawals.