BOSASO, Somalia — The U.S. Africa Command has sharply escalated airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia in the country’s northeast this year, conducting 59 strikes on Islamic State-aligned targets in Puntland State’s Bari region as part of a broader campaign that has reached 101 airstrikes across Somalia in 2025, compared with just 10 in all of 2024, according to statements shared with Fox News Digital.
- 101 U.S. airstrikes in Somalia so far this year, targeting ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabab
- 59 strikes specifically against ISIS-Somalia, largely in the Bari region
- Latest action occurred about 66 km southeast of Bosaso
- 2024 total: 10 airstrikes
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AFRICOM said the latest operation Tuesday was conducted “in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.” Multiple local sources described an airstrike followed by hours of fighting in rugged terrain, including reports that U.S. MQ-9 Reapers struck militants clustered in and around a cave system before helicopters arrived. Some local accounts claimed American troops briefly disembarked, though U.S. military officials publicly rejected that, repeating there was no ground operation by American forces and declining to disclose specific units or assets for operational security.
Local officials said high-value ISIS targets were hit in the raid, with as many as 10 militants killed and a senior figure possibly killed or captured. There were no reports of U.S. casualties. The claims could not be independently verified.
“To date, we’ve completed 101 airstrikes in Somalia — 59 of which have specifically targeted ISIS-Somalia,” an AFRICOM spokesperson told Fox News Digital, adding that U.S. forces will continue operations that degrade ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabab’s capacity to threaten the U.S. homeland, American personnel and citizens abroad.
The intensifying strikes have focused on the Cal-Miskaad mountains of Bari, where ISIS-Somalia has been squeezed by local and federal forces. The push traces back to a December 2024 initiative led by Puntland State’s Counter-Terrorism Forces, with U.S. support expanding this year. Official photos released alongside recent statements showed U.S. aircraft launching from an aircraft carrier, underscoring the maritime dimension of the campaign off the Horn of Africa.
Analysts say Washington’s stepped-up tempo reflects concern about the group’s transnational ambitions and recruitment. “The U.S. focus on [ISIS] in Puntland State is partially driven by the goal of preventing another international [ISIS] haven from emerging, as well as the potential threat from ISIS-Somalia’s recruitment of foreign fighters,” said Ahmed Soliman, a senior research fellow with Chatham House’s Africa program, in comments reported by Fox News Digital.
AFRICOM said in August that its strikes underscore a broader counterterror mandate. “These lethal strikes demonstrate our resolve and commitment to ensuring Americans and our partners remain safe from the threat of global terrorism,” said Gen. Dagvin Anderson at the time, describing actions aimed “against an organization that wishes to export its terror to the U.S. and our allies.”
The operations come amid continued pressure on al-Shabab, al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, even as ISIS-Somalia has sustained a resilient enclave in Puntland State. U.S. officials frame the current pace as preemptive—meant to fracture networks, deny sanctuary in the Cal-Miskaad range, and prevent Somalia from serving as a springboard for plots beyond the region.
While reported militant casualties have mounted in recent weeks, AFRICOM has not released a detailed battle damage assessment for Tuesday’s strike. The command emphasized its coordination with Somali authorities and reiterated that specific unit information will remain classified to preserve operational security.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
