US strikes stronghold of Islamic State affiliate in Somalia

WASHINGTON — 

U.S. warplanes took purpose astatine the Islamic State affiliate successful Somalia, hitting what officials described arsenic high-ranking operatives successful the panic group's mountainous stronghold.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the precision onslaught Saturday connected societal media, describing the main people arsenic a "Senior ISIS Attack Planner and different terrorists helium recruited and led."

"These killers, who we recovered hiding successful caves, threatened the United States and our Allies," Trump said. "The strikes destroyed the caves they unrecorded in, and killed galore terrorists without, successful immoderate way, harming civilians."

A abstracted connection from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes targeted an country successful Somalia's Golis mountains, and "further degrades ISIS's quality to crippled and behaviour violent attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and guiltless civilians."

Neither Trump nor Hegseth named the IS planner, though U.S. officials said the strikes were carried retired successful coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.

General Adan Abdi Hashi, commandant of the Puntland Devish Forces said the airstrikes targeted astatine slightest 10 locations of the Islamic State militants successful the Cal-Miskaad area, which is portion of the Golis mountains.

"The strikes targeted astir 10 locations successful the Cal-Miskaad areas, astir of them caves, and we judge that galore of the militants were killed," said the general.

Residents successful Qandala, a tiny municipality successful Bari portion of Puntland told VOA connected the information of anonymity due to the fact that they feared for their lives, that they could spot from the region plumes of fume and flames, and that they could perceive astatine slightest 7 immense explosions.

Officials from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland portion thanked the U.S. connected societal media, calling the cognition a success.

"The latest airstrike, carried retired today, resulted successful the elimination of respective high-ranking #ISIS members," according to the statement.

U.S. Africa Command, which oversees U.S, subject efforts connected the continent, said it, too, assessed aggregate panic operatives had been killed.

The 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 some a cardinal cog successful the IS fiscal network, funneling wealth to affiliates successful Afghanistan and elsewhere successful Africa.

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

Some U.S. officials interest Mumin has risen adjacent higher, possibly acting arsenic the 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 of past year.

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

Most of IS-Somalia's manpower has been concentrated successful Puntland, particularly successful the Golis Mountains, besides known arsenic the Cal-Miskaad mountains.

Saturday's airstrike, the archetypal against IS successful Somalia truthful acold this year, was carried retired by combatant jets launched from the USS Harry S. Truman, presently successful the Red Sea, according to defence officials who spoke to VOA connected the information of anonymity successful bid to sermon details of the operation.

It comes arsenic Somali forces successful Puntland proceed a subject violative against ISIS militants hiding successful Cal-Miskaad mountains. Puntland besides thanked the United Arab Emirates which they accidental provided aerial enactment to the ongoing offensive.

The operations, which started successful precocious December 31, drove militants from immense areas successful the northeastern highlands of Somalia.

The militants, galore of them foreigners, person claimed carrying retired IED attacks against Puntland forces.

The fiercest clashes occurred precocious past week erstwhile the determination forces dislodged the militants from Turmasaale, a strategical determination astir 150 kilometers southeast of Bosaso.

The Somali authorities called Saturday's airstrikes by the U.S. "a captious measurement successful our shared combat against terrorism."

"The Federal Government of Somalia welcomes the steadfast and decisive counterterrorism efforts led by the United States," it said successful a statement. "Together, we volition proceed to dismantle extremist networks ... and physique a aboriginal escaped from the scourge of terrorism."