US airstrikes in Somalia shrink ISIS territory, push leaders underground, AFRICOM says
WASHINGTON — U.S. Africa Command says its stepped-up airstrikes in Somalia have tightened the noose on Islamic State-linked militants, shrinking their operating space and forcing leaders into hiding as Somali forces press ground operations in the country’s volatile northeast.
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In a digital press briefing, AFRICOM leaders described the strikes as “critical support” coordinated closely with Somali partner forces and designed to provide capabilities Somali troops cannot generate on their own, including advanced intelligence, surveillance and precision targeting.
The comments come amid heightened scrutiny of U.S. military activity in Somalia, where Washington has increased air operations against militants aligned with the Islamic State group and al-Shabab. Commanders framed the campaign as a targeted effort to sustain Somali gains and prevent extremist groups from regenerating.
AFRICOM pointed to recent operations in Puntland State’s Golis Mountains as a case study. Somali forces, backed by U.S. air power and intelligence, mounted an offensive against fighters entrenched in the rugged range, an area long considered hard to govern and harder to hold.
“These strikes have allowed them to stay engaged, shrink the territory held by ISIS, and, most importantly, maintain pressure in the Golis Mountains,” AFRICOM commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson said, citing assessments from Somali partners on the ground.
According to the command, sustained pressure has pushed Islamic State leadership deeper underground, hampering the group’s ability to coordinate operations or move freely across the region. AFRICOM says the disruption has constricted the militants’ operational space and degraded command structures.
Officials emphasized that airstrikes are one part of a broader U.S.–Somalia security partnership meant to complement, not replace, Somali forces. Under the model described by AFRICOM, Somali troops conduct ground operations while the United States provides intelligence, training, logistical support and targeted strikes when needed.
AFRICOM’s Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Sgt. Maj. Garric M. Banfield, underscored parallel efforts at sea, where American technical support aims to bolster Somalia’s ability to secure its long coastline. “This includes technical support to help Somali authorities monitor their waters and counter threats such as arms smuggling, piracy and illegal fishing,” Banfield said. “The goal is to improve security capabilities to protect shorelines and borders.”
U.S. officials link maritime insecurity to broader instability in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, warning that coastal smuggling networks can funnel weapons and resources to armed groups inside Somalia. Better maritime domain awareness, they argue, is crucial to cutting those pipelines.
AFRICOM leaders said Somalia remains a central front in the command’s wider campaign against extremist organizations in Africa, including al-Shabab and Islamic State affiliates that Washington says pose threats beyond the country’s borders. The partnership approach, they contend, allows Somali forces to sustain momentum while gradually building the capacity to handle security challenges independently.
The command repeatedly tied security operations to longer-term goals of stability and development, arguing that battlefield gains must connect to durable governance and economic opportunity if they are to hold. “Security leads to stability, and that stability creates opportunities,” Anderson said, adding that long-term cooperation with African partners remains core to the U.S. military’s strategy on the continent.
AFRICOM did not disclose specific metrics or timelines for the effort, but officials said continued coordination with Somali authorities — on land and at sea — is central to keeping pressure on militant networks and preventing them from reconstituting safe havens.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
