U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has completed a two-week operation with Somali forces. The mission, which ended on August 23, included airstrikes against ISIS hideouts in Puntland’s Golis Mountains. A separate strike on August 22 targeted al-Shabab in Middle Shabelle.
The joint operation focused on disrupting the ISIS-Somalia leadership network. Officials said the campaign was designed to weaken the group’s ability to organize and export attacks. General Dagvin Anderson, commander of U.S. Africa Command, praised the U.S. and Somali teams for the complex, well-planned mission. He stated that the strikes show a strong commitment to keeping Americans and their partners safe from global terrorism. AFRICOM is still assessing the results and did not release casualty figures.
On August 22, a different U.S. strike hit al-Shabab near Ceel Bashir in Middle Shabelle. Al-Shabab is al-Qaida’s East African affiliate. The group continues to carry out attacks against Somali and international forces. U.S. officials said the strike was meant to limit the group’s ability to plan operations inside and outside Somalia.
These strikes are part of an intensified U.S. campaign in Somalia. According to official records, AFRICOM has conducted 60 airstrikes so far in 2025. This is a major increase from the 10 strikes in all of 2024. U.S. officials state that expanded authorities under the Trump administration have allowed commanders to respond faster and target more groups. Almost all operations use unmanned drones and often last less than an hour. The U.S. Africa Command sees these strikes as a key way to contain extremist groups that threaten Somalia’s stability and regional security.
