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The U.S has intensified its air operations in Somalia, launching strikes on militant hideouts for three consecutive days in what officials describe as one of the most active campaigns of the year. The attacks, carried out in the country’s southern and northeastern regions, highlight Washington’s ongoing military role in Somalia, which continues to battle extremist groups nearly twenty years after U.S. airstrikes first began there.
According to the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the first strike took place on October 26, targeting al-Shabaab fighters about 25 miles north of Kismayo in southern Somalia. On the same day, Somalia’s federal government announced that a precision airstrike had killed an al-Shabaab commander in Bu’ale, roughly 100 miles further north. Two more strikes followed on October 27 and 28, this time aimed at ISIS-Somalia militants hiding in the Al Miskaad mountain range, located about 53 miles southeast of Bosaso in Puntland. The area has long served as a safe haven for extremist groups due to its rugged terrain and remote location.
AFRICOM confirmed that the operations were conducted alongside Somali and regional security partners but did not share casualty figures or further operational details, citing security concerns. The command stopped publishing estimates of militant or civilian deaths earlier this year, saying that withholding such details is necessary to protect ongoing missions.
Puntland, the semi-autonomous region in northeastern Somalia where the ISIS strikes occurred, has also been running its own military campaigns against the group. Local sources say ISIS fighters have adapted to the pressure by using guerrilla tactics—moving between caves, valleys, and isolated settlements to avoid detection. Despite numerous offensives, local officials acknowledge that ISIS-Somalia remains active and continues to carry out occasional attacks.
The recent wave of airstrikes underscores Washington’s renewed commitment to Somalia’s counterterrorism fight. Data shows the U.S. has already conducted more airstrikes in 2025 than during any other year on record. The previous high of 63 strikes occurred in 2019 under former President Donald Trump. By comparison, President Joe Biden approved 51 strikes during his four-year term, while President Barack Obama authorized 48 during his eight years in office.
U.S. involvement in Somalia stretches back nearly two decades. It began with support for Ethiopia’s 2006 military intervention, which toppled the Islamic Courts Union—a coalition that briefly brought stability to Mogadishu before collapsing. Out of that conflict emerged al-Shabaab, which has since led a long and violent insurgency across Somalia and neighboring countries. The group frequently carries out deadly bombings, ambushes, and attacks on both Somali and foreign forces.
The ISIS faction currently being targeted in Puntland broke away from al-Shabaab in 2015, pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group. Since then, it has maintained a small but resilient presence in the Cal Miskaad mountains. Despite years of joint Somali and U.S.-supported efforts to eliminate them, the militants continue to use the region’s steep terrain and isolated settlements as cover for their operations.
For Washington, the latest air campaign signals both persistence and caution. While the U.S. remains committed to supporting Somali and regional partners in dismantling terrorist networks, it has increasingly shifted to limited but strategic strikes instead of large-scale deployments. The ongoing operations suggest that the U.S. is unlikely to step back from Somalia anytime soon, as extremist groups continue to pose a threat to both regional stability and international security.