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US Embassy in Syria: Barrack and Abdi discussed practical steps toward integration into a unified Syria and agreed that the time for unity has come
US Embassy in Syria: US Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack met today with the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi
US Embassy in Syria: Barrack-Abdi meeting discussed the current situation in Syria and the need to take urgent steps to restore stability
Al-Hijri: We call on the guarantor states of the ceasefire agreement to fulfill their pledges to halt this attack and impose direct international protection for the Druze of Syria
Al-Hijri: It is unfortunate and shameful that the other party is not abiding by the ceasefire and that the hostile gangs continue to commit shameful crimes
Spiritual Leadership of the Druze Unitarian community, headed by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri: We call on the guarantors of the ceasefire in Sweida to shoulder their responsibilities
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: One was killed in the raid carried out by an Israeli drone on a motorcycle in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif
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Trump orders airstrikes on ISIS in northern Somalia

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The New York Times
  • 2 Feb 2025 04:29
  • 2 Shares
2 Min Read

US airstrikes in Somalia target ISIS operatives, including a senior leader.

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  • Trump orders airstrikes on ISIS in northern Somalia
    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.

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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.

Read more: Two al-Shabaab militants killed in airstrike in South Somalia: US

  • United States
  • Al-Shabaab
  • Somalia
  • ISIS
  • Donald Trump

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