Former President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he ordered airstrikes targeting a high-ranking ISIS planner and associated operatives in Somalia. The operation, confirmed by then-Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, was conducted in collaboration with the Somali government and aimed to disrupt ISIS's ability to orchestrate attacks.

Former President Trump stated on Truth Social that the strikes eliminated the targeted individuals and destroyed their hideouts without causing civilian casualties. He emphasized that this ISIS planner had been a target for years, contrasting his decisive action with what he perceived as inaction from the previous administration.

Hegseth confirmed the strikes, stating that they were carried out by U.S. Africa Command in the Golis mountains. He added that the initial assessment indicated multiple operatives were killed without civilian harm, and the operation significantly hampered ISIS's capacity to plan and execute terrorist attacks. He stressed that the U.S. remains committed to neutralizing terrorist threats to the nation and its allies.

A Somali official, speaking anonymously, corroborated the strikes and expressed the Somali government's support for the action, emphasizing Somalia's commitment to preventing terrorists from finding safe haven within its borders. The official noted that the full impact of the strikes was still under evaluation.

These strikes are part of a series of U.S. military operations in Somalia spanning multiple administrations, targeting terrorist groups, including ISIS. A similar operation the previous year, also coordinated with Somalia, resulted in the deaths of three ISIS members.