--- title: "US carries out multiple airstrikes on ISIS in Somalia" description: "The attack is the largest overseas military operation by the second Trump administration so far, killing \"multiple\" ISIS members." date: "2025-02-01" modified: "2025-02-01" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/africom-somalia-isis-airstrikes/" categories: - "Africa" - "Around the World" - "News" tags: - "africa command" --- # US carries out multiple airstrikes on ISIS in Somalia ![A fighter jet takes off down the runway of an aircraft carrier.]() *U.S. Africa Command photo.* U.S. forces launched several airstrikes in northern Somalia, targeting members of the Islamic State’s branch in the country. U.S. Africa Command as well as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation on Saturday. It’s the first American military operation in Somalia announced by the Trump administration; Trump’s previous presidency saw extensive aerial strikes inside the African nation. The attacks took place in Somalia’s Puntland state in the north, with Hegseth specifying they occurred within the Gholis mountain range. The strikes killed “multiple” ISIS operatives, AFRICOM said, although it did not go into details on who they were. President Donald Trump said on social media that the operation targeted a senior ISIS planner. The exact military assets used were not specified, however AFRICOM released photos of Carrier Air Wing 1 operating onboard the USS Harry S. Truman with its announcement. That air wing and the Truman Carrier Strike Group has been operating in the Red Sea and other waters around Yemen and Somalia for several weeks as part of the military’s fight against the Houthi movement in Yemen. AFRICOM said its initial assessment found that no civilians were harmed but did not share any additional details on the operation. The office of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also confirmed the airstrikes on X and said he was informed by the United States. The airstrikes come after U.S. forces carried out an airstrike in northwest Syria on Jan. 30, killing a leader of the al-Qaeda affiliate group Hurras-al-Din. That was the first announced military action under Trump. During Trump’s first administration the United States carried out a large number of drone strikes, airstrikes and special operations missions inside Somalia, 219 in total. His first term saw a [major increase]() in the number of drone strikes over his predecessor Barack Obama, who in turn escalated the drone war beyond that of George W. Bush. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **Here are the first Army and Marine Corps units heading to** [**the border**]() - [**Two officers**]() **were fired for bucking their chain of command. Now they’re going to work at the Pentagon.** - **Army and Air Force sweep out** [**DEI-coded programs**]() - **Army officers had to** [**write haikus**]() **about Pacific theater of World War II during a leadership course** - **Army recruits hoping for cav scout or armor jobs will have to wait for** [**boot camp**]() ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()