Trump’s first war: U.S. launches airstrikes on ISIS in Somalia

The U.S. military launched coordinated airstrikes against ISIS operatives in Somalia, marking the first strikes in the region since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Trump: Airstrikes Targeted Senior ISIS Planner

Trump announced the operation on Truth Social, stating he had ordered “precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia.”

“These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies,” Trump wrote. “The strikes destroyed the caves they live in and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strikes were carried out by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in coordination with the Somali government.

“Our initial assessment is that multiple operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed,” Hegseth stated.

ISIS Threat in Somalia and U.S. Counterterrorism Efforts

While Trump did not identify the targeted ISIS planner, U.S. military officials have warned of an increasing ISIS presence in northern Somalia. Intelligence reports indicate ISIS leadership in the region has been advising militants on kidnapping, military tactics, and evasion techniques to counter drone surveillance.

The Pentagon’s counterterrorism operations in Africa have been strained after U.S. forces were expelled from Chad and Niger last year, forcing adjustments in strategy.

The ISIS presence in Somalia is believed to be concentrated in the Cal Miskaat mountains in Puntland’s Bari region, with estimates placing the number of fighters in the hundreds, according to the International Crisis Group.

Saturday’s airstrikes follow a U.S. operation in northwest Syria on Jan. 30 that killed a senior operative in Hurras al-Din, an al-Qaeda affiliate, according to U.S. Central Command.