Sunday February 2, 2025
A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 ("Checkerboards") ignites its afterburners during a launch from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Arabian Sea. CREDIT / United States Navy
Mogadishu (HOL) — U.S. airstrikes in Somalia’s Al Miskaad Mountains have killed senior operatives of the Islamic State (ISIS), local officials confirmed Sunday.
The strikes, conducted by F/A-18 jets launched from the USS Harry S. Truman stationed in the Red Sea, targeted caves in the Golis Mountains, a known stronghold for ISIS fighters. The U.S. Defense Department stated that the precision airstrikes eliminated several key militants without civilian casualties.
“These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our allies,” former U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social after ordering the strikes. “The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’”
Although the names of the operatives killed were not disclosed, local and U.S. sources confirmed they included senior figures vital to ISIS’s logistical and operational activities.
Puntland officials described the operation as a significant step in the ongoing second phase of their campaign against ISIS, which has been entrenched in the Golis Mountains since 2015 after splitting from al-Shabab, al-Qaida’s Somali affiliate. Although the names of the operatives killed were not disclosed, local and U.S. sources confirmed they included senior figures vital to ISIS’s logistical and operational activities.
The Al Miskaad Mountains’ rugged terrain has long provided ISIS with a natural fortress, making it difficult for ground forces to reach the group’s hidden bases. Officials said the strikes were aimed at degrading the group’s capacity to plan attacks and extort local communities—a common tactic ISIS has used to sustain itself in the region.
Puntland extended its gratitude to international allies, particularly the United States and the United Arab Emirates, for their ongoing support in combatting terrorism. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also acknowledged the operation, describing it as a testament to the strong security partnership between Somalia and the U.S.
“This operation demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated action between regional and international forces,” said Puntland’s Minister of Security, Mahamud Aidid Dirir. He emphasized that the strikes would help disrupt future attacks by removing key planners and recruiters from ISIS’s ranks.
ISIS-Somalia, estimated to have 300-700 fighters, half of whom are foreign combatants, has primarily relied on extortion, smuggling, and sporadic attacks to sustain its operations. While much smaller than al-Shabab, the group has proven resilient due to its remote hideouts and international recruitment network.
This is not the first time the U.S. has targeted high-ranking militants in Somalia. In 2023, U.S. Special Operations forces killed Bilal al-Sudani, a key ISIS financial operative, in a raid on another mountainous hideout in Puntland. Additionally, a U.S. airstrike in May of the same year targeted Abdulqadir Mumin, the leader of ISIS-Somalia and a former al-Shabab recruiter who defected to establish the group in 2015.
Trump, who withdrew hundreds of U.S. troops from Somalia in 2020, has continued to rely on precision airstrikes to weaken terrorist groups. Under his leadership, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has conducted more airstrikes in Somalia than any previous administration.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed the U.S. airstrikes, calling them a critical component of the ongoing campaign to stabilize Somalia. In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Mohamud explained the significance of continued U.S. involvement, particularly its support for Somali special forces through intelligence, aerial strikes, and logistical assistance.
The U.S. provided nearly $1 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Somalia in 2023, and Mohamud stressed that this support was not just for Somalia’s benefit but for global security.
Analysts warn that although the strikes may temporarily weaken ISIS’s operational capacity, the group could attempt to regroup or relocate. The remote and mountainous terrain of northern Somalia has made it difficult to fully eradicate extremist elements.
Security experts suggest that sustained international cooperation and local military efforts will be essential to preventing ISIS from re-establishing its foothold. Puntland officials pledged to continue their campaign, stating they had cleared over 200 kilometers of ISIS-controlled territory in recent months.
“This operation is just the beginning of a long-term strategy to ensure that ISIS and its affiliates can no longer pose a threat to Puntland or the wider region,” said Dirir.