US Africa Command said in a press release on Thursday that its forces launched yet another airstrike in Somalia’s Puntland region on June 10 as the Trump administration continues to bomb the country at a record pace.
AFRICOM said the strike was launched southeast of the port city of Bossaso and claimed that it targeted ISIS. The command offered no other details, which has become the norm under the second Trump administration. “
“Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” AFRICOM said.
The US has been backing local forces in Puntland, who announced on June 8 that they were launching a major operation against ISIS that’s being supported by the US and the UAE. “The current operation specifically targets pockets where surviving militants are believed to be regrouping,” a Puntland security official told Garowe Online.
Based on the number of press releases put out by AFRICOM, the June 10 airstrike brought the total number of US strikes in Somalia to 33 this year. However, AFRICOM told New America, an organization that tracks the US air war, that it has launched a total of 38 strikes in Somalia in 2025.
The press releases do not always specify if AFRICOM launched a single airstrike or multiple strikes. New America has said that it has recorded a total of 39 US strikes this year, explaining that it includes “alleged strikes that AFRICOM has not confirmed where reporting alleges the US was responsible.”
The US has also been launching airstrikes against al-Shabaab, which has been on the offensive against the US-backed government in southern and central Somalia. Heavy clashes between al-Shabaab and US-backed forces have been reported in recent days.
