Trump announces airstrikes against ISIS targets in Somalia : NPR

This photo provided by U.S. Africa Command, the U.S. military conducts coordinated airstrikes against Islamic State operatives in Somalia on Saturday.

AP/U.S. Africa Command

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AP/U.S. Africa Command

President Trump said he ordered airstrikes against ISIS operatives in the Golis Mountains in Somalia this morning in a strike coordinated with the Somali government.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced the “precision” airstrikes, saying the attempt to target the “Senior ISIS Attack Planner” was successful.

“The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians,” Trump posted.

The White House declined to provide further information on the strike, like how many ISIS operatives were killed.

But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement that the Pentagon’s initial assessment is that multiple ISIS operatives were killed, and he reiterated no civilians were harmed.

He said the strike, conducted by the US-Africa command, sends “a clear signal” that the U.S. is ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the U.S. and its allies.

“This action further degrades [ISIS’] ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians,” Hegseth said in the statement.

Trump criticized former President Biden for not acting quickly enough to target this particular operative — though the Biden White House did conduct other airstrikes in Somalia during his term, targeting Al Qaeda and ISIS positions.