The U.S. military conducted its inaugural airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) members in Somalia on February 1st 2025 during the second presidential term of Donald Trump. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed the military strikes originated from President Trump while receiving authorization from the Somali government.
The Pentagon stated that multiple IS personnel died because of the airstrikes while preserving civilian safety. Through a public social media statement Trump announced that U.S. forces destroyed hidden locations to eliminate top IS leadership roles and recruitments. He delivered his threat as a promise by saying “WE WILL FIND YOU AND WE WILL KILL YOU” but he avoided confirming the planner’s elimination.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud from Somalia commended the operation because he saw it as strengthening bilateral cooperation to eliminate extremism. Currently there is rising worry that IS cells within northern Somalia are directing their activities from relocated leadership which includes training operations in drone evasions and quadcopter development. 
The Somali IS affiliate maintains its activities since 2015 in Puntland’s Galgala Mountains through the revenues generated from extortion and smuggling activities. The group maintains its expanding influence even with the combined force of Somali forces alongside U.S. airstrikes while contending against Al-Shabaab rivals.
The military operation happens during a time when U.S. forces recently launched air strikes in Syria while continuing to enhance their counterterrorism operations while facing difficulties following base withdrawals from Chad and Niger. The United States continues to lead efforts that aim at containing IS threats throughout the area.
