Just to Remind People…..
U.S. Africa Command unleashed a series of strikes against various targets this week in Somalia, where the command’s attacks on militants are at an all-time high.
Islamic State fighters in the country were hit Monday and Tuesday in the vicinity of the group’s enclave near the Golis Mountains in northern Somalia, AFRICOM said in a statement Wednesday.
Separate strikes also were conducted against the al-Shabab group on Monday near the southern coastal city of Kismayo, AFRICOM said.
The latest round of strikes brings AFRICOM’s annual total in Somalia to 117, nearly double the command’s previous high of 63 in 2019.
ISIS in Somalia has become a growing concern for AFRICOM, which has stepped up its attacks against the group over the past year. Formed in 2015 by al-Shabab defectors, the ISIS branch in Somalia also has drawn foreign fighters to its ranks.
As of May, about 60% of its force of 1,500 came from outside Somalia, AFRICOM said at the time.
ISIS as a whole remains a threat to U.S. forces abroad, as demonstrated by last week’s deadly ambush in Syria by an attacker who claimed to be a member of the group.
Two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in the attack, prompting President Donald Trump to vow “serious retaliation.”
American forces in Syria are involved in an effort to prevent a resurgence of ISIS there. After seizing control of a large swath of territory in Syria and Iraq, the group declared a caliphate in 2014 before eventually losing its hold on the land….
…
U.S. military personnel in Somalia provide various forms of support to Mogadishu in its long-running campaign against al-Shabab. Besides airstrikes, U.S. troops train and advise local ground forces….
image…US Army
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.