US Troops in Southern Somalia Come Under ‘Indirect Fire’

Al-Shabaab took credit for the attack and claimed it inflicted casualties on US troops, which US Africa Command denied

US troops and allied forces in Kismayo, southern Somalia, came under “indirect fire” on September 4, US Africa Command said in a press release.

The press release came after al-Shabaab said it attacked Kismayo’s airport, where US personnel are based, according to Somali media. Al-Shabaab claimed that it killed and wounded American troops, but AFRICOM denied that there were any casualties.

“There were no US or partner force injuries or casualties as a result of the attack, and no damage to the base or coalition property has been reported,” AFRICOM said. “Al-Shabaab routinely disseminates false and exaggerated claims regarding attacks to undermine public trust. These claims should be treated with skepticism.”

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jeffery Fedor, right, 152nd Engineer Support Company squad leader, helps lay concertina wire at Cooperative Security Location, Kismayo, Somalia, May 20, 2025 (US Air Force photo via DVIDS)

The US military is known to coordinate airstrikes against al-Shabaab from the base in Kismayo, which is located in Jubaland, Somalia’s southernmost region, which has a significant al-Shabaab presence. In June of this year, the US Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa said US Army engineers were enhancing security at the US base in Kismayo.

While the US and al-Shabaab have been at war for nearly two decades, al-Shabaab cited US support for Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza as the reason for the attack. Back in 2020, al-Shabaab attacked a US base across the border in Kenya, killing one US soldier and two American contractors.

The attack in Kismayo comes as the US has launched a record number of airstrikes in Somalia this year and has supported US-backed government forces and African Union troops in major battles against al-Shabaab. The US has been fighting against al-Shabaab since the group first emerged in 2007 following the US-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia that ousted the Islamic Courts Union, which briefly held power in Mogadishu.

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.

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