US Africa Command said in a press release on Sunday that its forces launched an airstrike in Somalia a day earlier against “multiple” ISIS targets in the northeastern Puntland region.
AFRICOM claimed its “initial assessment” found that “multiple” ISIS operatives were killed, and no civilians were harmed, although the Pentagon is notorious for hiding civilian casualties in Somalia.
The command said the strike was launched in coordination with the US-backed Mogadishu-based federal government, but Puntland is not under the federal government’s control.
Last year, Puntland, which has acted as a semi-autonomous state, announced it was withdrawing from the federal system. Local Puntland forces have been fighting against ISIS forces on the ground and have been receiving air support from the US.
The latest US airstrike marked the fourth known time the US bombed Somalia this month. Airstrikes in the first half of the month targeted al-Shabaab, which is conducting an offensive against the federal government in central Somalia. A strike launched on March 25 also targeted ISIS in Puntland.
The recent US airstrikes in Somalia came after President Trump eased restrictions on US airstrikes and special operations raids outside conventional battlefields. US officials said at the time that the step was taken with al-Shabaab in mind.
The US may expand its military presence in Somalia as it is considering recognizing Somaliland as a country in exchange for a naval base. Somaliland acts as an independent state and has a coast on the Gulf of Aden, just across from Yemen, meaning the US could use a base there for operations against the Houthis.
The federal government is trying to dissuade the US from recognizing Somaliland and has reportedly offered the US “exclusive operational control” of ports of the Gulf of Aden. However, a major issue with the offer is the fact that the federal government doesn’t actually control the ports.
