US Africa Command has announced that its forces launched another airstrike in Somalia’s Puntland region as the Trump administration continues its air war in the country at a record pace, with virtually no media coverage.
As usual, the command offered no details on the strikes, only claiming that it targeted the small ISIS affiliate to the southeast of the port city of Bossaso. “Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” AFRICOM said.
Based on the count from AFRICOM, the strike marks the 39th time the US bombed Somalia this year. New America, which tracks the US air war, counted the attack as the 40th US strike this year, as it includes airstrikes that have been reported but not confirmed by AFRICOM.
The Trump administration is well on its way to breaking the record for the number of US airstrikes in Somalia in a single year, which Trump set at 63 in 2019.
The US is backing local forces on the ground in Puntland who are engaged in an offensive against ISIS fighters hiding out in caves. Garowe Online, a media outlet based in Puntland, reported on Monday that Abdul Qadir Mumin, the leader of ISIS-Somalia, recently fled the Cal-Miskaad mountain range, where the fighting is taking place.
The US has also been launching airstrikes against al-Shabaab, which has been on the offensive in southern and central Somalia against the US-backed Federal Government.
