The United States has intensified its air campaign against Al-Shabaab and Islamic State militants in Somalia, linking the escalation to a broader counterterrorism push across Africa that recently included strikes in Nigeria.
According to data from the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), American forces have carried out 23 airstrikes in Somalia since January 1, targeting both Al-Shabaab and Islamic State affiliates.
AFRICOM spokeswoman, Major Mahalia Frost, said the increase in operations reflects a renewed effort to dismantle Islamic State-linked groups on the continent, noting that the campaign also involved Christmas Day airstrikes in Nigeria.
“The uptick since the New Year is tied to a broader push against Islamic State-affiliated militants in Africa,” Frost said.
Speaking on the sidelines of a US–Nigeria security meeting in Abuja, AFRICOM Commander, Lieutenant General John Brennan, said the United States has adopted a more aggressive posture over the past year.
“We’ve gotten a lot more aggressive and are working with partners to target, kinetically, the threats — mainly ISIS,” Brennan told AFP.
Following the Nigerian strikes, which Washington and Abuja said targeted Islamic State Sahel Province elements, the Pentagon pledged to expand intelligence sharing with Nigerian security agencies.
“From Somalia to Nigeria, the problem set is connected,” Brennan said.
“We’re trying to break it apart and then provide partners with the information, equipment and capabilities they need, with fewer restrictions, so they can be more effective.”
AFRICOM confirmed that the 23 strikes conducted in Somalia this year included operations against Al-Shabaab, which has waged a long-running insurgency in the Horn of Africa.
The escalation continues a trend that began during President Donald Trump’s first term, when US military operations in Somalia rose sharply.
According to figures compiled by the US-based think tank New America, Trump authorised 219 strikes and ground operations during his first four years in office, compared to 48 strikes carried out during Barack Obama’s eight-year presidency.
In his second term, Trump has already approved at least 143 strikes, New America said.
The recent US strikes in Nigeria come amid diplomatic tensions between Washington and Abuja, following comments by Trump last year describing violence in Nigeria as the “genocide” or persecution of Christians.
The Nigerian government and independent analysts have rejected that characterisation, although it remains popular among segments of Trump’s political base in the United States.
Despite diplomatic frictions, both the US and Nigerian militaries appear committed to deeper security cooperation.
Somalia has also faced diplomatic pressure from Washington, including a recent pause in US humanitarian aid.
Earlier this month, Somali authorities announced that a senior Al-Shabaab commander, Abdullahi Osman Mohamed
Abukar, was killed during a joint US operation.
