On December 22, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), in partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia, conducted another series of airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia militants in the country’s rugged Golis Mountains.
The strikes took place about 88 km southeast of the port city of Bossaso, a region known to be a strategic stronghold for the terror group, which uses its mountain cave networks to run complex extortion and smuggling operations.
This operation is the latest in a dramatically escalated U.S. air campaign in Somalia throughout 2025, which has seen the number of strikes surge to over 100 by late November, far surpassing previous years.
AFRICOM has stated that these actions are necessary to degrade the group’s ability to threaten the U.S. homeland and its interests abroad, a justification that has become more prominent in its public statements this year.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has publicly welcomed the international cooperation, and an initial assessment of a similar strike in February indicated that multiple ISIS operatives were killed with no civilian casualties.
While officials remain tight-lipped on specific operational details, analysts note the timing and increased frequency of these strikes raise questions about the future of U.S. involvement in the region’s complex security landscape.
The Puntland regional government has previously confirmed that strikes in the area have eliminated key ISIS figures, though the group, estimated to have grown to as many as 1,600 fighters, has proven resilient.
