
The U.S. military launched airstrikes in Somalia on Saturday, targeting a senior Islamic State attack planner and several other militants, President Donald Trump announced.
“These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The strikes destroyed the caves they live in and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians.”
The strikes hit the Golis Mountains, and initial assessments indicated multiple militants were killed, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. No civilian casualties were reported.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was briefed on the operation and expressed gratitude for U.S. support in the fight against terrorism. “Your bold and decisive leadership, Mr. President, in counterterrorism efforts is highly valued and welcomed in Somalia,” he wrote on X.
Puntland’s information minister, Mohamud Aidid Dirir, said the strikes targeted Islamic State bases in the Cal Miskaad Mountains. “The number of casualties is still unknown as it was dark. But our forces on the frontline could hear the sound of explosions,” he told reporters.
Hegseth said the strikes disrupted Islamic State’s ability to plan and carry out attacks against the U.S. and its allies. “This sends a clear signal that the United States remains ready to find and eliminate terrorists who pose a threat, even as we conduct robust border-protection and other critical operations under President Trump’s leadership,” he said.
The U.S. has conducted airstrikes in Somalia for years under both Republican and Democratic administrations.