National Defense

US Hits Record Number Of Airstrikes In African Jihadist Stronghold

(US Africa Command)

The U.S. has bombed Somalia more this year so far than at any point in U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) history, Stars and Stripes reported Monday.

AFRICOM, the U.S. combatant command for the continent, has carried out 72 strikes in Somalia in 2025, surpassing the previous record of 63 in 2019, according to Stars and Stripes. The U.S. has been militarily involved in Somalia since the 1990s, with the most recent strike targeting the home-grown Islamic State affiliate.

In addition to providing air support, AFRICOM provides training and logistics support to the Somali forces to fight ISIS and al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate.

The U.S. also dropped one of the largest airstrikes in history on Somalia in March, loosing 125,000 pounds of ordinance on ISIS targets in Somalia during the mission against the Houthi rebels.

Somalia has long been a breeding ground for terrorist activity, the most notable group being al-Shabaab, while the homegrown ISIS branch formed when fighters defected from the al-Qaeda affiliate in 2015.

U.S. and allied Somali forces also came under indirect fire last Thursday, although no casualties or property damage was reported, according to the combatant command.

A February directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave combatant commanders much more latitude in striking targets without first consulting civilian authorities. The directive was intended to improve operational effectiveness, as targets can now be hit more quickly after acquisition than under former President Joe Biden’s administration.

AFRICOM did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.