The United States has sharply escalated its air war in Somalia since Donald Trump returned to office, carrying out 111 strikes against armed groups and causing civilian deaths, according to the New America Foundation.
The latest strike took place on December 14 near Kismayo, when US Africa Command said it targeted fighters from al-Shabaab. The campaign began in February with Trump’s first Somalia strike and later included what a senior US admiral called the largest air strike in history from an aircraft carrier, a major shift from the previous administration. This year’s strike total already exceeds the combined number under Presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and could surpass Trump’s own first-term record.
The operations target both al-Shabaab, which has battled Somalia’s government since 2007, and ISIL-Somalia, a smaller group based mainly in the northeast. The surge follows a directive from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that removed Biden-era requirements for White House approval, giving commanders greater freedom to strike. Analysts say more than half the strikes support a Puntland campaign against ISIL-Somalia, while others back Somali government forces against al-Shabaab advances in the south.
The intensified air war has raised concerns over civilian casualties, with reports of civilians, including children, killed and the US military no longer publishing casualty assessments.
IMAGE: US Military