US forces launched airstrikes in Somalia on Saturday, targeting a senior ISIS attack planner and other militants, President Donald Trump confirmed. The operation killed many militants without causing civilian casualties.
“These killers, hiding in caves, threatened the US and our Allies,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “The strikes destroyed their caves and killed many terrorists.”
The airstrikes took place in the Golis Mountains, with initial reports indicating that numerous militants were killed, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. He also confirmed no civilians were harmed.
The Somali president’s office acknowledged the strike, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud expressing deep gratitude for the US’s ongoing support in the fight against terrorism. He praised President Trump’s leadership in counterterrorism efforts.
The US attack targeted ISIS bases in the Cal Miskaad Mountains, part of the Golis range, according to the information minister of Puntland state. Though the full casualty count remains unknown due to darkness, local forces reported hearing explosions.
Hegseth emphasized that the airstrikes weakened ISIS’s ability to plan and execute attacks, and reinforced the US’s readiness to eliminate terrorists threatening both the country and its allies.
Liberty News International correspondent reports that the United States has carried out periodic airstrikes in Somalia over the years, under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
LND/SAKIB
