US Intensifies Airstrikes In Somalia Against ISIS And Al-Shabab

The United States has increased its operations in Somalia, launching a new wave of airstrikes in January targeting al-Shabab and the local Islamic State affiliate, ISIS-Somalia, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

In a statement released on January 12, AFRICOM confirmed that U.S. forces, in coordination with the Somali federal government, carried out airstrikes against al-Shabab militants. The command said the operations were aimed at weakening the group’s operational capacity and reducing security threats.

AFRICOM described the action as part of ongoing efforts to “degrade the group’s ability to threaten the U.S. homeland, U.S. forces and Americans overseas.”

Additional strikes targeting ISIS-Somalia were reported on January 11 and January 9 in northern Somalia, including the Golis Mountains area of Puntland, southeast of Bosaso. Further airstrikes against al-Shabab were also carried out on January 8 near Buur Heybo, approximately 154 kilometres northwest of Mogadishu.

The command added that between the evening of January 3 and 4, more strikes were conducted “in coordination with Somali authorities,” as part of a broader counterterrorism campaign. No casualty figures were disclosed.

The January operations come amid a wider escalation of U.S. airstrikes in Somalia. AFRICOM data shows that between February 1 when the Trump administration launched its first strike in Somalia in 2025 and June 10, the U.S. carried out 38 airstrikes against al-Shabab and ISIS targets. The command has indicated that additional strikes have occurred since then.

Independent monitoring groups have also reported an uptick in air operations since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2024, according to a report by the Combating Terrorism Center.

The report referenced testimony by AFRICOM Commander Gen. Michael E. Langley before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in April 2025, where he warned about the growing threat posed by extremist groups in Africa.

“We are acutely aware that if ISIS and al Qaeda groups continue their expansion, they will pose a direct threat to the U.S. homeland,” Langley said.

“Given this environment, US AFRICOM will work collaboratively with the intelligence community and inter-agency partners to keep the risk to U.S. national security interests low,” he added.

Al-Shabab, an al Qaeda-linked group, has been fighting Somalia’s government since 2007 and still controls parts of south-central Somalia. ISIS-Somalia, while smaller, operates mainly in Puntland’s mountainous northeast and is believed to be competing with al-Shabab for influence in the region.

According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Somalia’s conflict with armed groups was the third-deadliest in Africa through 2024, with an estimated 7,289 fatalities.