U.S. military airstrikes kill ISIS militants in Somalia, Trump says
President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he ordered military strikes that killed several ISIS militants in Somalia.
“These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians,” Trump said in the message posted to X, formerly called Twitter.
In a statement, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the strikes targeting ISIS-Somalia operatives in the Golis mountains occurred in coordination with the Somali government.
“Our initial assessment is that multiple operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed," Hegseth said. " This action further degrades ISIS’s ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies,” he said.
Neither Trump nor Hegseth named any of the people targeted in the strikes or how many were killed. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for more information. These are the first airstrikes of Trump's second administration.
The office of Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said he was informed Saturday about the U.S. military airstrikes targeting senior Islamic State leadership in northern part of the country.
"He acknowledges the unwavering support of the United States in the fight against international terrorism and welcomes the continued commitment under the decisive leadership of President Donald Trump," the office said in a post on X.
ISIS in Somalia
The International Crisis Group calls the Islamic State in Somalia a longstanding if low-profile security threat that has become an important part of the jihadist group’s worldwide network.
On May 31, 2024 U.S. forces conducted an airstrike in a semi-autonomous state in north-eastern Somalia aimed at taking out Abdulqadir Mumin, leader of the Islamic State in Somalia, who survived.
The Islamic State in Somalia been involved in attacks in southern and central Somalia, operates in remote and urban areas and is primarily funded through extortion and smuggling.
Reuters contributed to this report