U.S. Airstrikes Target Senior ISIS Leaders in Somalia’s Al Miskad Mountains
Mogadishu (AX) — A series of U.S. airstrikes, seasoned in precision and resolve, have indelibly altered the tangled landscape of the Al Miskaad Mountains in Somalia. The result: the elimination of senior Islamic State (ISIS) operatives, as announced by local dignitaries on a reflective Sunday morning.
Conducted with the F/A-18 jets roaring into action from the decks of the steadfast USS Harry S. Truman, stationed strategically in the Red Sea, these airstrikes uncovered refuges buried deep within the rocky veins of the Golis Mountains. This rugged region has notoriously provided sanctuary to ISIS combatants, but this time, evasive tactics were met with unsparing accuracy. “In these acts, no civilian blood was spilt,” reassured a statement from the U.S. Defense Department, highlighting the near-surgical elimination of high-value targets.
The urgency of this assault, not just a military maneuver but a message echoing across global corridors, was underscored by former U.S. President Donald Trump. “These killers, hidden in caverns, threatened not only America but the very threads of our alliances,” he declared on his platform, Truth Social. His words resonated a chilling promise: “The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!'”
While the operatives’ identities remain shrouded in security protocol, whispers among local and U.S. circles confirm their pivotal roles within ISIS’s machinations. Those echelons, now disrupted, were significant conduits for ISIS’s logistical and operational efficacy. A triumph proclaimed by Northeastern State officials as a critical momentum in their expansive campaign against ISIS, which has lingered in these rugged mountains since a schism from al-Shabab in 2015.
The Golis Mountains, or the impregnable Al Miskaad Mountains as some call them, form a natural labyrinth, a fortress of stone that guards its secrets well. But could any geological advantage withstand a targeted skyward force? The strikes were meticulously aimed at splintering ISIS’s capability to perpetuate terror and extortion—a grim lifeline in this arid span.
Northeastern State’s gratitude radiated towards its international partners, spotlighting the unwavering fraternity of the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in his stalwart conviction, hailed this operation as a testament to an indomitable alliance with the U.S. that continues to form new security paradigms.
Northeastern State’s Minister of Security, Mahamud Aidid Dirir, encapsulated the moment: “This operation demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated action between regional and international forces.” He underscored the strikes’ strategic aim—to excise the masterminds and the propaganda pushers from the ranks of ISIS, thus disrupting future dread and division.
An estimated force of 300 to 700 ISIS fighters treads the northern Somali landscape, a fraction of which are international recruits. While dwarfed by the al-Shabab menace, their tenacity springs from the inaccessible hideouts and a vast recruitment web that defies mere numbers.
Perhaps history is repeating in dizzying loops—it’s not the genesis of U.S. surgical strikes on Somalia’s militant fabric. Take 2023, a year marked by the elimination of Bilal al-Sudani, a pivotal ISIS financier, by U.S. Special Operations in the northern territories. That year in May also marked a U.S. airstrike aimed at Abdulqadir Mumin, the charismatic leader of ISIS-Somalia who broke from al-Shabab to birth this cipher of turmoil in 2015.
Trump, whose presidency saw the strategic withdrawal of troop numbers in 2020, leaned heavily on precision warfare. During his tenure, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) unleashed more aerial interventions than ever before, redefining engagement with terrorist factions.
In a recent discourse with The Washington Post, Mohamud articulated the essential dovetail of U.S. intervention in maintaining Somalia’s stability. The blend of intelligence, aerial sovereignty, and logistical support is indispensable.
While aiding Somalia with a near $1 billion infusion in military and humanitarian efforts last year, Mohamud echoed a crucial truth: the world’s peace stakes lie here. Analysts, however, muse with caution—the weakening of ISIS’s immediate capacity is apparent, yet history indicates a phoenix-like resilience within the group. Will they evade, regroup, and renew their disdain, clinging to the turbulent terrains?
The arduous path ahead requires relentless international cooperation and robust local defenses. Northeastern State’s officials have vowed incessant pursuit, proudly announcing over 200 kilometers of territory cleansed of ISIS presence.
In the words of Dirir, “This operation is just the beginning of a long-term strategy to ensure that ISIS and its affiliates can no longer pose a threat to Northeastern State or the wider region.”
As this chapter closes, does another open on bolder, conscientious warfare? Edited By Ali Musa Axadle Times international–Monitoring
