Somalia

Somali army seizes Hawaadley hideout in Middle Shabelle as new offensive targets Al Shabab Somalia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday the national army has taken control of Hawaadley in the Middle Shabelle region, describing the area as a long-used hideout for the Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabab. The advance is part of a newly launched push under Operation Badr to dismantle the group’s “safe havens.” The ministry said troops are conducting clearance operations to secure recently captured zones, pursuing remaining fighters and…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that U.S. forces destroyed 10 Iranian mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz within minutes of his warning that Tehran would face unprecedented military consequences if it did not remove mines from the strategic waterway. “We have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. Central Command had been eliminating the vessels “with ruthless…

AFRICOM targets ISIS-Somalia hideouts in Puntland State airstrike near Bosaso MOGADISHU — U.S. Africa Command said Tuesday it carried out an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia fighters in northeastern Somalia, striking mountain hideouts in Puntland State’s Bari region as joint counterterrorism operations continue. In a statement, AFRICOM said the strike took place about 70 kilometers (43 miles) southeast of the port city of Bosaso, in areas identified as Togga Baallade and along the Al-Miskaad mountain range. The command said…

Trump threatens ‘unprecedented’ response if Iran mines Strait of Hormuz WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned Iran of severe military consequences if Tehran attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz with naval mines, saying the United States would respond at a level “never seen before.” The warning followed intelligence assessments indicating Iranian forces may be preparing to deploy dozens of mines in the narrow waterway, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply transits. Trump said there were…

BOSASO, Somalia — U.S. Africa Command conducted a precision airstrike against ISIS-Somalia militants in northern Somalia’s Cal Miskaad mountain range on Wednesday, targeting positions in the remote Baallade valley of Bari region, roughly 70 kilometers southeast of the port city of Bosaso, according to military officials. AFRICOM said the operation was carried out in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali National Army, describing it as a collective effort designed to disrupt and degrade the…

NATO intercepts suspected Iranian ballistic missile over southern Turkiye, no casualties NATO air defenses intercepted what Turkish authorities said was a ballistic missile launched from Iran toward Turkiye, shooting it down over the Sahinbey district of Gaziantep on Monday as regional tensions intensified amid the United States and Israel’s war against Iran. The Turkish Ministry of National Defence said no casualties or damage were reported and described the operation as a demonstration of Ankara’s readiness to defend its…

Iran and Israel long fought in the shadows — through intelligence operations, cyberattacks, covert sabotage and proxy warfare — calibrating pressure without crossing into direct war. That balance is faltering. The shadow conflict is tilting toward open confrontation, reshaping the Middle East’s security architecture and rippling through energy markets, shipping lanes and fragile regional politics from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. For decades, Tehran relied on partners such as Hezbollah in…

‘Operation Buckeye’ and a barrage of online attacks leave Somali Americans in Columbus living with fear — and facing an uncertain future COLUMBUS, Ohio — The men began circling the 161 Child Care center just after dawn. They idled in their cars, cracked their windows and spoke across the December cold: “We’re exposing all of you. Every single one of you, you’re all going back.” Days later, in the early hours of New Year’s Day, someone broke into the Somali American–owned daycare on the city’s north side. For co-owner Abukar…

Oil prices leap past $100 as Iran conflict chokes Hormuz, stoking global food inflation risk LONDON — Oil prices surged above $100 a barrel this week, the highest since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as escalating conflict involving U.S.-Israeli forces and Iran on Feb. 28 rattled energy markets and raised the specter of renewed food inflation worldwide. The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which roughly 20% of global oil supply moves — has seen marine traffic…

U.S. SOCAFRICA chief meets Jubbaland leader in Kismayo to deepen fight against al-Shabab KISMAYO, Somalia — The commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa met Jubbaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe in Kismayo on Monday to discuss ongoing military operations against al-Shabab and expanded security cooperation in southern Somalia, officials said. Maj. Gen. Claude K. Tudor Jr.’s visit comes amid intensified counterterrorism efforts in the Jubbaland region, where Somali forces, backed by international partners,…