Incident Code

USSOM452cPossiblyUAE

Location

Somalia
Sections

Key Information

Incident Status
Assessed
Country

Sources (14)

Garowe Online news ↗

Arabic

Long War Journal news ↗

Arabic

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On February 1, the United States launched at least six airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) in Somalia’s semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland in support of that region’s current military offensive against the group. Puntland officials quickly put out a statement praisingthe strikes. In the same communique, the officials also thanked a more unusual partner: the United Arab Emirates. ↗

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Partly in support of Puntland’s military offensive against the Islamic State’s local wing, President Trump announced on February 1that he authorized strikes against a “Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia.” Trump did not specify how many strikes took place, but local sources spoke of at least six hitting 10 sites held by the Islamic State Somalia in Puntland’s Cal Miskaat Mountains. ↗

Twitter Arabic

The identity of the “Senior ISIS Attack Planner” Trump referred to remains unclear. However, unconfirmed reports have pointed to either a senior Islamic State leader from the Middle East who had relocated to Somalia or Abdirahman Fahiye Isse Mohamud, the emir of the Islamic State’s Somalia wing, according to security sources who spoke to FDD’s Long War Journal. Puntland officials have since stated that Fahiye was indeed targetedand possibly killed, though it remains unconfirmed by other parties. ↗

Twitter Arabic

Abdul Qadir Mumin, the founder of the Islamic State Somalia who is believed to be one of the most senior Islamic State leaders globally, also remains a suspected target. However, neither the US, Mogadishu, nor the Islamic State have confirmed the identity of a specific leader killed in the strikes as of the time of publishing. Only the unconfirmed information from Puntland reports Fahiye’s demise. ↗

Arabic

Perhaps more surprising for many was the public acknowledgment of airstrikes carried out by the United Arab Emirates. While the UAE is more secretive about its military activity compared to the United States, it is believed to have conducted at least two airstrikes in Puntland since the beginning of the year. ↗

Arabic

On January 2, an airstrike was reportedagainst Islamic State positions in the Cal Miskaat Mountains as Puntland was commencing its operations against the militants. Though many outlets assumed the airstrike to be the work of the US, it never took credit for it. It is thus believed to have been conducted by the UAE. ↗

Arabic

More recently, on February 4, anotherround of airstrikes took place in the Togga Jacayl area within the same mountain range of Puntland. The US has again, so far, not taken credit for these operations, leading many to speculate it was the UAE. Some Puntland outlets have even explicitly confirmed the role of the UAE in these strikes. ↗

Twitter Arabic

The latest operations would also not be the first Emirati strikes in the country.It is believed that the UAE launched its first drone strike inside Somalia in June 2023, when it targeted Shabaab positions in the central region of Galguduud. An unclaimed airstrike in May 2024 in the Cal Miskaat Mountains of Puntland is also thought to have been carried out by the UAE. ↗

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The UAE has a significant history in Puntland and an evolving relationship with the Somali state. It has been militarily involved in Puntland since the early 2010s when it helped createthe Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), a major security organ in the region. The UAE has been the PMPF’s primary funder, supplier, and trainer since its creation. It is also understood that almost 200 Emirati troops are hosted at a PMPF base in Puntland’s Bosaso. ↗

Arabic

Elsewhere in Somalia, the UAE has supported several military units and provided training and funding for others in Mogadishu, especially as its rival Qatar supports other units. The UAE offers both direct traininginside Mogadishu and pays for training Somali forces in Eritrea, Uganda, and Ethiopia. The UAE’s base in Mogadishu was targeted early last year in an attack conducted by a Shabaab member who infiltrated the training program. ↗

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The UAE also reportedly provides military supportto the regional forces of Jubaland, a southern state of Somalia on the border with Kenya that currently treats itself as independent of Mogadishu. ↗

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Media from Sources (1)