Fix today. Protect forever.
Secure your devices with the #1 malware removal and protection software
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has conducted coordinated airstrikes against Islamic State operatives in Somalia, the first attacks in the African nation during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday that the strikes by U.S. Africa Command were directed by Trump and coordinated with Somalia’s government.
An initial assessment by the Pentagon indicated that “multiple” operatives were killed. The Pentagon said it assessed that no civilians were harmed in the strikes.
Trump, in a post on social media, said a senior IS planner and recruits were targeted in the operation.
“The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians. Our Military has targeted this ISIS Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did!” Trump said. “The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that “WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!”
Trump did not identify the IS planner or say whether that person was killed in the strike. White House officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Pentagon’s counterterrorism strategy in Africa has been strained as two key partners, Chad and Niger, ousted U.S. forces last year and took over key bases that the U.S. military had used to train and conduct missions against terrorist groups across the Sahel, the vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert.
U.S. military officials have warned that IS cells have received increasing direction from the group’s leadership that relocated to northern Somalia. That has included how to kidnap Westerners for ransom, how to learn better military tactics, how to hide from drones and how to build their own small quadcopters.
A U.S. military airstrike in Somalia last May targeted IS militants and killed three, according to U.S. Africa Command.
The number of IS militants in the country are estimated to be in the hundreds, mostly scattered in the Cal Miskaat mountains in Puntland’s Bari region, according to the International Crisis Group.
Saturday’s operation followed military airstrikes on Jan. 30 in northwest Syria, killing a senior operative in Hurras al-Din, an al-Qaeda affiliate, U.S. Central Command said.
Fix today. Protect forever.
Secure your devices with the #1 malware removal and protection software
The US military has conducted a series of airstrikes targeting Islamic State operatives in Somalia, in an effort to combat the growing presence of the terrorist group in the region.
These airstrikes come as part of ongoing efforts by the US military to disrupt and degrade the capabilities of Islamic State militants in Somalia, who have been carrying out attacks and spreading their influence in the country.
The strikes were carried out with precision and coordination, targeting specific locations where Islamic State operatives were believed to be operating. The US military has stated that these strikes were necessary to protect both US interests and the stability of the region.
While the exact number of casualties from the airstrikes is not yet known, it is clear that the US military is committed to taking action against Islamic State operatives in Somalia in order to prevent further violence and instability in the region.
These airstrikes serve as a clear message to Islamic State militants in Somalia that their actions will not go unpunished, and that the US military will continue to take action to eliminate the threat they pose.
The US military remains vigilant in its efforts to combat terrorism around the world, and these recent airstrikes in Somalia are just one example of the commitment and determination of the US military to protect freedom and security for all.
Tags:
- US military
- Islamic State
- Somalia
- Strikes
- Operatives
- Counterterrorism
- National security
- Military operations
- Extremism
- Global security
#military #strikes #Islamic #State #operatives #Somalia
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.