Trump says he ordered airstrikes on ISIS leaders in Somalia

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 individuals and injured dozens extra after he plowed a truck into New 12 months’s Eve revelers in New Orleans. 

“These killers, who we discovered hiding in caves, threatened the US and our Allies,” Trump wrote on Fact Social. 

Trump mentioned that the strikes destroyed the caves the terrorists had been residing in and didn’t “in any method” hurt civilians. 

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President Donald Trump after signing govt orders within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23, 2025 (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg through Getty Photos)

“Our Army has focused this ISIS assault planner for years, however Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act shortly sufficient to get the job accomplished. I did!” Trump wrote.

“The message to ISIS and all others who would assault People is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!’” Trump wrote.

It’s unclear how many individuals in whole had been killed.

Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth supplied additional particulars on the strikes, saying they had been carried out by U.S. Africa Command in coordination with the Somali authorities.

“I approved U.S. Africa Command to conduct coordinated airstrikes at this time focusing on ISIS-Somalia operatives within the Golis mountains,” Hegseth mentioned in a press release.

“Our preliminary evaluation is that a number of operatives had been killed within the airstrikes and no civilians had been harmed. This motion additional degrades ISIS’s skill 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 individuals and injured dozens extra after he plowed a truck into New 12 months’s Eve revelers in New Orleans.  (AP Pictures / Getty Photos)

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 sturdy 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 impression 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))

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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.