In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike targeting ISIS-Somalia on May 4, 2026.The airstrike occurred in the vicinity of the Golis Mountains, about 75km southeast of Bossaso.AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade ISIS-Somalia’s ability to threaten the U.S. Homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad.Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.

US Africa Command said in a press release on Tuesday that its forces launched another airstrike in Somalia one day earlier as the Trump administration continues its record-shattering bombing campaign in the country. The command said that the strike targeted the ISIS affiliate in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region, about 46 miles southeast of the Gulf of Aden port city of Bosasso, in a remote mountain region where the US backs local government forces against ISIS fighters based in caves. As usual, AFRICOM offered no other details about the strike, but Hiraan Online, a Somali news site, reported heavy US strikes at the Miraale Well, an area where ISIS fighters are based. The report said the strikes came after clashes between the Puntland military and the ISIS affiliate in the area. The Hiraan report didn’t say if there were casualties, and AFRICOM has stopped sharing casualty estimates and assessments on potential civilian harm since last year. “Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security,” AFRICOM said. The bombing marks at least the 62nd US airstrike in Somalia this year, according to AFRICOM’s numbers, putting the Trump administration well on track to break the record for annual airstrikes in the country that it set last year, when it conducted 124. Besides bombing the ISIS affiliate in Puntland, the US has also been targeting al-Shabaab in southern Somalia in support of the US-backed Mogadishu-based federal government. President Trump’s massive escalation of the US air war in Somalia came after he loosened the rules of engagement by lifting restrictions on US drone strikes and raids carried out outside of officially declared combat zones. According to New America, an organization that tracks the air war, the US launched more airstrikes in Somalia in 2025 than were conducted during the administrations of Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush combined. Despite the massive escalation, the bombing campaign continues to be ignored by US media, and the administration has never elaborated on what its long-term strategy is for Somalia. The US has been involved in Somalia for decades and has been fighting al-Shabaab since the George W. Bush administration backed an Ethiopian invasion in 2006 that ousted the Islamic Courts Union, a Muslim coalition that briefly held power in Mogadishu after taking the city from CIA-backed warlords. Al-Shabaab was the radical offshoot of the Islamic Courts Union, and its first recorded attack was a suicide bombing in 2007 that targeted Ethiopian troops occupying Mogadishu. It wasn’t until 2012 that the group pledged loyalty to al-Qaeda. The ISIS affiliate in Puntland started as an offshoot of al-Shabaab and first emerged in 2015. Source: Antiwar.com

The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has recently carried out a series of intense airstrikes in the Al-Miskaad Mountains in the Bari region of Puntland State, according to a statement released by AFRICOM. These airstrikes were specifically targeting the active presence of the ISIS group in Puntland, particularly in an area located 46 miles southeast of the port city of Bosaso. However, AFRICOM has not provided any further details on the attack, as they have stopped releasing information on the number of civilian casualties resulting from airstrikes since last year. This recent attack marks the 62nd airstrike conducted by the U.S. in Somalia this year, indicating that the Trump administration is on track to surpass the previous year’s record of 124 airstrikes. This increase in U.S. airstrikes can be attributed to the administration’s decision to loosen restrictions on military operations and lift restrictions on drone strikes outside of designated battle zones.

HOME NEWS Font Size Wednesday May 6, 2026 Mogadishu (HOL) — U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against Islamic State militants in northern Somalia in coordination with the Somali government, U.S. Africa Command said. The strike took place May 4 in the Golis Mountains, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) southeast of the port city of Bosaso, targeting fighters linked to the Islamic State group’s Somalia affiliate, known as ISIS-Somalia, AFRICOM said in a statement. AFRICOM said the operation was carried out in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali Armed Forces as part of ongoing efforts to weaken the militant group’s ability to plan and conduct attacks. The command did not disclose details about the specific units or assets used in the strike, citing operational security. Somalia has faced persistent threats from extremist groups, including ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabab, which have carried out attacks targeting government officials, security forces and civilians. AFRICOM said it would continue to work with Somali authorities to counter militant groups and reduce their capacity to threaten U.S. interests, forces and citizens abroad.

#PUNTLAND: A heavy airstrike, believed to have been carried out by United States forces, targeted locations where members of the ISIS group were reportedly present on Monday. Reports from the area indicate that the strike followed clashes that have been ongoing since yesterday between #Somalia's autonomous state of Puntland forces and ISIS fighters in the Ceelka Miiraale area, where security forces are attempting to dislodge the militants from their remaining positions.