Key Islamic State planner killed in airstrike, US says

WASHINGTON — 

The main people successful a bid of U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic State panic radical successful Somalia earlier this period is dead, according to the astir caller appraisal by subject officials.

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced precocious Tuesday that Islamic State onslaught planner Ahmed Maeleninine was killed on with 13 different high-ranking operatives successful the Feb. 1 operation, tally successful coordination with the Somali government.

In a statement, AFRICOM described Maeleninine arsenic a "recruiter, financier, and outer operations person liable for the deployment of jihadists into the United States and crossed Europe."

Officials did not supply further accusation connected Maeleninine's exploits.

Assessing the occurrence of the U.S. strikes was delayed owed to the determination of the targets and the terrain — a bid of cave complexes successful the Cal Miskaad country of Somalia's Golis Mountains.

At the time, a Somalia commandant told VOA the U.S. strikes had targeted astatine slightest 10 locations.

Residents successful Qandala, a tiny municipality successful the Bari portion of Puntland not acold from the site, told VOA that they could spot plumes of fume and flames, and that they heard astatine slightest 7 explosions.

Islamic State, besides known arsenic IS oregon Daesh, has progressively played a cardinal relation successful the panic group's operations successful Africa and beyond.

Since 2022, Somalia has been location to al-Karrar, 1 of 9 determination Islamic State offices established to assistance prolong the panic group's capabilities. As a result, IS-Somalia has go a cardinal cog successful the IS fiscal network, funneling wealth to affiliates successful Afghanistan and elsewhere successful Africa.

IS-Somalia has simultaneously go much influential nether the enactment of Abdulkadir Mumin, a erstwhile militant with al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, who is thought to present caput IS's directorate of provinces, overseeing the panic group's affiliates successful Africa.

Some U.S. officials interest Mumin has risen adjacent higher, possibly acting arsenic Islamic State's apical emir. Others disagree, but determination is statement that Mumin is nevertheless a pivotal figure.

The U.S. antecedently targeted Mumin successful May 2024.

Recent quality assessments person further warned IS-Somalia has much than doubled successful size implicit the past twelvemonth and whitethorn present person arsenic galore arsenic 1,600 fighters, bolstered by an influx of fighters from Ethiopia, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania and Yemen.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier connected Tuesday warned that Washington would not hesitate to instrumentality enactment against IS successful Somalia and beyond.

"Where we spot those growing, plotting oregon readying with accrued capabilities, we volition strike," helium said during a sojourn to AFRICOM office successful Stuttgart, Germany.

He besides said the U.S. is unfastened to keeping successful spot astir 500 peculiar cognition forces presently stationed successful Somalia.

"I privation to perceive to the commanders connected the ground, archetypal and foremost," Hegseth said. "The president, he's charged maine with, springiness maine your champion proposal but besides support your receptor to the crushed of what's astir effective."

U.S. President Donald Trump, toward the extremity of his archetypal word successful bureau successful January 2021, withdrew U.S. forces from Somalia. Former President Joe Biden reversed the determination successful May 2022, sending astir 500 U.S. peculiar cognition forces to assistance Somali forces antagonistic IS and al-Shabab.

Harun Maruf, Mohamed Olad contributed to this report.