AFRICOM Resumes Somalia Airstrikes as U.S. Expands Theater Infrastructure – SOFX

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted airstrikes against al-Shabaab on five separate days between June 14 and June 19, ending a monthlong lull in attacks and keeping the command’s 2026 strike total, now at 68, on a record-breaking pace

The strikes concentrated in southern Somalia, mostly near Kismayo, with the most recent confirmed operation occurring approximately 64 miles northwest of the city, near Welmaro. AFRICOM conducted all five strikes in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces.

The command confirmed the preceding lull was not an operational pause. “Our strike engagements are data driven and results oriented,” AFRICOM said. “We focus on maximizing every opportunity we have in our counterterrorism efforts.”

AFRICOM added that Somali forces independently targeted the group during the same period. “Somalia continued its efforts against terrorist elements in their country and were able to eliminate senior al-Shabaab leadership,” the command stated.

Somalia’s U.S.-trained Danab special operations unit separately killed 14 al-Shabaab fighters during an operation in the Lower Shabelle region targeting militant commanders and supply positions, according to the Somali Ministry of Defence. These figures have not been independently verified by SOFX.

The renewed strikes run parallel to a broader U.S. infrastructure investment in the region. The U.S. State Department broke ground in January on a $71 million, 10,000-foot runway expansion at Manda Bay Air Base in Kenya, the primary staging facility for American aircraft operating in Somalia.

Separately, Joint Special Operations Task Force-Somalia (JSOTF-SOM) posted a solicitation in late May for cultural and political advisers to support engagement with Somali government officials and tribal leaders.

The solicitation described this as enabling the task force to operate with “an understanding of local customs, history, cultural routines, tribal dynamics, local government, and the socio-cultural context in which operations are being planned and conducted.”

AFRICOM’s 2026 total of 68 strikes already exceeds half of last year’s 125 operations. This ongoing momentum stems from a policy directive enacted last year by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which granted theater commanders greater authority over when to launch strikes.