Thursday, January 15, 2026

U.S. steps up air campaign against terror groups in Somalia

The United States has launched a renewed wave of airstrikes across Somalia, targeting both al-Shabab and the Islamic State’s local affiliate as part of an intensified counterterrorism effort, according to US Africa Command.

The strikes, carried out in coordination with Somalia’s federal government, hit al-Shabab positions near Mogadishu and Buur Heybo, while separate operations targeted ISIS-Somalia strongholds in northern Puntland, including the Golis Mountains region near Bosaso.

AFRICOM told Fox News the operations are aimed at degrading the militant groups’ ability to threaten the US homeland, American forces, and citizens abroad, but did not release casualty figures.



The latest actions form part of a broader escalation in US military activity in Somalia, with dozens of airstrikes conducted since early 2025. US military leaders have warned that the continued expansion of jihadist groups in Africa poses ‘a growing security risk’, while al-Shabab remains entrenched in south-central Somalia and ISIS-Somalia continues to compete for influence in the country’s northeast.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. I don’t know why the Americans bother.
    The number one problem for Somalia, the rest of Africa and the sub-continent – populations exploding and fighting for limited resources under the guise of religion.
    A problem being brought to the rest of the world by immigration.

    • Money matey. Africa is one of the food bowls of the world, it has lots of lovely mineral resources to plunder too plus plenty of cheap labour. Whats not to like!

  2. The dumb yanks are shoring up their naval flanks for any future attacks against Iran. Somalia and Somaliland in the Horn of Africa is important to the dumb yanks after the Houthis handed the imperial US Navy their first ever defeat in over 80 years when the Houthis forced US aircraft carriers out of the Gulf of Aden last year. The aircraft carrier has a fundamental weakness – it has to sail straight into the wind unable to take evasive action during takeoffs and landings – and the Houthis proved last year that the dumb yanks will keep losing planes overboard if they take evasive action during takeoffs/landings. So the US knows they can’t persist with carrier-based operations within range of Houthi missiles. Without aircraft carriers, what are the alternatives?

    Somalia and Somaliland used to be the same country but ended up separate thanks originally to differences in European colonization (Britain vs Italy) but more recently being polarised apart by globalist powers. Israel and the USA are pushing for recognition of Somaliland as a separate country but won’t bother waiting for it – Israel intends building military bases in Somaliland to counter the Houthi threat https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-recognition-of-somaliland-brings-danger-and-opportunity-to-a-rough-region/

    Somalia recently tore up their alliance with US-backed UAE after they refused passage to a Saudi-supported Yemeni leader named Aidarous al-Zubaidi who illegally entered Somalia from Somaliland. The US instead wants compliance from Somalia – and this is the reason for the recent American airstrikes against Somalia. The overall US-Israeli strategy is to negate Houthi missile capability in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden

    • So it is the US once again backing up and providing security for Israel?
      Well so much for the American Western Hemisphere with withdrawal into its own borders.

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