President Donald Trump mentioned on Saturday that he ordered army airstrikes in Somalia, taking out a senior ISIS assault planner and different terrorists the planner had recruited.
The strikes come simply weeks after an ISIS-inspired terrorist killed 14 folks and injured dozens extra after he plowed a truck into New Yr’s Eve revelers in New Orleans.
“These killers, who we discovered hiding in caves, threatened america and our Allies,” Trump wrote on Reality Social.
Trump mentioned that the strikes destroyed the caves the terrorists have been residing in and didn’t “in any manner” hurt civilians.
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President Donald Trump after signing government orders within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23, 2025 (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg through Getty Photographs)
“Our Navy has focused this ISIS assault planner for years, however Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act rapidly sufficient to get the job performed. I did!” Trump wrote.
“The message to ISIS and all others who would assault Individuals is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’” Trump wrote.
It’s unclear how many individuals in whole have been killed.
Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth offered additional particulars on the strikes, saying they have been carried out by U.S. Africa Command in coordination with the Somali authorities.
“I licensed U.S. Africa Command to conduct coordinated airstrikes at this time concentrating on ISIS-Somalia operatives within the Golis mountains,” Hegseth mentioned in a press release.
“Our preliminary evaluation is that a number of operatives have been killed within the airstrikes and no civilians have been harmed. This motion additional degrades ISIS’s capacity to plot and conduct terrorist assaults threatening U.S. residents, our companions, and harmless civilians.”
The strikes come simply weeks after an ISIS-inspired terrorist killed 14 folks and injured dozens extra after he plowed a truck into New Yr’s Eve revelers in New Orleans. (AP Pictures / Getty Photographs)
Hegseth mentioned the strikes “ship a transparent sign” that the U.S. at all times stands prepared to search out and eradicate terrorists who threaten the nation and its allies even because it carries out strong border protections at residence.
An official within the Somali president’s workplace, talking on situation of anonymity, confirmed the strikes to Reuters and mentioned Somalia’s authorities welcomed the transfer.
“Somalia can’t be a secure haven for terrorists,” mentioned the official, including that the affect of the strikes was nonetheless being assessed.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned the strikes focused ISIS-Somalia operatives within the Golis mountains. ((Fox Information / The Will Cain Present))
The USA has periodically carried out airstrikes in Somalia for years below Republican and Democratic administrations.
A strike, which additionally focused Islamic State militants, was carried out by the U.S. in coordination with Somalia final 12 months. It killed three members of the group, the U.S. army mentioned.
Reuters contributed to this report.
