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The semi-autonomous Puntland administration in Somalia announced on Sunday that US airstrikes in the Golis Mountains had eliminated key figures within the Islamic State group.
US President Donald Trump revealed the operation late on Saturday through Truth Social, stating that he had authorised “precision military air strikes” targeting a senior ISIS attack planner and other militants in Somalia.
Although IS maintains a smaller footprint in Somalia compared to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab, analysts have raised concerns about its increasing activities.
The strikes took place in Somalia’s northern region, where Puntland Defence Forces have been engaged in anti-IS operations since December. The militant faction is believed to have entrenched itself in the Golis Mountains.
“Recent airstrikes have led to the neutralization of key figures within ISIS, marking a significant advancement as we progress into the second phase of our operation,” the regional government said Sunday, using an alternative name for the IS group.
It called the US involvement in air strikes “invaluable” and expressed “sincere gratitude” but the statement did not provide more details on the strikes.
A Somali government statement issued in Mogadishu said the operation in the Bari region was “jointly coordinated by the Somali and American governments” and had targeted “senior IS leaders”.
It gave no further details.
According to the president’s office, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was informed about the strikes on Saturday night adding that the attack “reinforces the strong security partnership” between the two nations.
He also conveyed his “deepest gratitude” to Washington for the strikes in a post on X on Sunday.
“Terrorism will neither find friends, nor any place to call home, in Puntland state and entire Somalia,” he added.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the “initial assessment is that multiple operatives were killed in the airstrikes”. He mentioned however, that no civilian was affected by the strike.
