US airstrikes surge in Somalia, surpassing 2024 numbers
American forces have increased the number of airstrikes on ISIS and al-Shabab fighters this year, in support of Somali military operations.
Nicholas Slayton
Published May 31, 2025 5:14 PM EDT
The U.S. military has carried out more than two dozen airstrikes on targets in Somalia in the first five months of this year, double the total number of strikes in 2024.
The escalation of the air war comes as the United States is “actively pursuing and eliminating jihadists” in the country, at the request of Somalia’s government, Gen. Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command, said in a May 30 briefing. The air campaign has targeted ISIS militants and fighters with the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group, which continues to fight for territory against the federal Somali government.
While Langley claimed 25 separate strikes, American forces carried out 33 airstrikes on Somalia this year, Kelly Cahalan, a spokeswoman for U.S. Africa Command, told Task & Purpose this week. New America, which tracks airstrikes in Somalia and other countries the United States is militarily engaged in, reports 34 total airstrikes in 2025. Between 109-174 people have been killed so far, per New America.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/us-airstrikes-somalia-double/
