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Senior U.S. government officials have contradicted Somalia’s claims about coordination with Washington following a U.S. airstrike targeting ISIS operatives in northern Somalia, raising questions about Mogadishu’s reliability as a security partner. Military experts note that operational security protocols would preclude sharing strike details with Somalia, given the documented infiltration of government institutions by militant groups. Past incidents where sensitive operational information leaked through compromised officials have demonstrated the risks of pre-strike coordination in regions with significant extremist penetration of state structures.
Conflicting Claims Over U.S. Airstrike
In a statement, Villa Somalia claimed “President Hassan was informed of the U.S. strike targeting senior ISIS leadership in northern Somalia this evening,” and praised “the continued commitment under the decisive leadership of President Donald Trump.” However, U.S. sources speaking to Somaliland Chronicle directly refuted this account, confirming no such coordination or prior notification took place.
“Coordination with Somalia was on paper, something AFRICOM would generally say as a matter of courtesy, but the United States does not need permission from anyone to neutralize threats anywhere in the world,” a former U.S. military official familiar with operations in the region told Somaliland Chronicle. The official added that operational security considerations would make such coordination unlikely, particularly given Somalia’s own admission of Al-Shabaab infiltration within its security apparatus. This makes Villa Somalia’s false claim of prior coordination not just misleading but potentially dangerous to operational integrity.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strikes in a statement, saying the military’s initial assessment was that “multiple operatives” in the remote Golis Mountains were killed. The operation involved Navy and Air Force warplanes, including F/A-18 fighter jets from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman operating in the Red Sea, according to Defense Department officials. President Trump addressed the operation on social media, stating the strikes had killed a “Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited” who were “hiding in caves.”
Patterns in U.S. Military Operations in Somalia
This strike follows a pattern established during Trump’s previous administration, when he significantly expanded military operations in Somalia. In March 2017, Trump designated parts of Somalia as “areas of active hostilities,” granting commanders greater autonomy to conduct strikes. The escalation was dramatic: from just 14 strikes in 2016, operations increased nearly fourfold to 47 strikes in 2018, reaching 63 strikes in 2019. Notable operations included a November 2017 strike that killed over 100 al-Shabaab militants near Mogadishu and March 2019 strikes that eliminated senior al-Shabaab leaders in the Lower Shabelle region. However, despite these sustained efforts, extremist groups continue to maintain a foothold in Somalia.
Aid Suspension and Mogadishu’s Security Narrative
The conflicting narratives over this latest airstrike come as the U.S. has paused 90% of foreign aid spending, with only Israel and Egypt receiving exemptions, according to Reuters. The aid freeze has significant implications for Somalia, which received over $1.5 billion in U.S. foreign assistance between 2019 and 2023, making it one of the largest recipients of American aid in sub-Saharan Africa. A former U.S. State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described this massive investment as “a cycle of unfulfilled commitments that has cost American taxpayers billions while failing to achieve lasting security improvements.”
Villa Somalia’s statement, which emphasized “the strong security partnership between Somalia and the United States,” and President Hassan Sheikh’s recent Washington Post op-ed positioning Somalia as a crucial ally in counterterrorism efforts, appear part of a broader campaign to preserve U.S. backing.
However, Somalia’s security assertions have faced mounting skepticism. Hassan Sheikh’s approach to Al-Shabaab has been notably contradictory. In November 2023, he declared Somalia had “one year to eliminate Al-Shabaab,” vowing to decisively defeat the militant group by the end of 2024. Yet on the same day, in an interview with The National, he expressed willingness to negotiate with the group, emphasizing that dialogue could be a path to peace. This dual approach of promising military victory while offering negotiations has undermined the government’s credibility in both military and diplomatic spheres, according to regional security analysts.
Puntland’s Role and the Persistence of Extremist Groups
The situation in Puntland, where the U.S. strike occurred, presents additional challenges to Somalia’s counterterrorism narrative. While the semi-autonomous region has maintained relative stability compared to southern Somalia, its mountainous terrain has provided refuge for both Al-Shabaab and ISIS elements.
Security experts have documented instances where captured militants later rejoined extremist ranks, leading to criticism of Puntland’s approach to handling terror suspects. The Golis Mountains, specifically targeted in this strike, have been a persistent safe haven for ISIS operatives despite repeated military operations in the area.
U.S. forces have previously conducted significant operations in Puntland, notably the January 2023 raid that eliminated Bilal al-Sudani, identified by the Pentagon as a key ISIS financier, along with 10 other operatives in the Cal Miskaad Mountains. That operation was particularly significant as U.S. officials confirmed al-Sudani’s influence extended across Africa into Europe and linked him to the ISIS branch in Afghanistan responsible for the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members. Despite such high-profile operations, extremist groups continue to exploit the region’s complex terrain, according to U.S. military assessments.
Shifting U.S. Policy Toward Somalia
As Somalia’s government struggles to establish effective control beyond Mogadishu, skepticism within the U.S. is growing. Newly trained Somali special forces units have been deployed, yet Al-Shabaab continues to carry out attacks in major cities. According to recent U.N. reports, the group maintains its operational capacity in areas the government claims to have secured.
Unlike previous administrations that largely maintained steady support despite Somalia’s security challenges, current U.S. officials appear increasingly willing to question Mogadishu’s narratives and aid utilization. “The era of taking Mogadishu’s claims at face value is over,” said a current U.S. defense official who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters.
With aid suspended and increasing scrutiny over Somalia’s security claims, Hassan Sheikh’s efforts to maintain U.S. support face significant challenges. The direct contradiction of Villa Somalia’s statements by U.S. officials marks a potential watershed moment in bilateral relations. This incident, combining false claims about military coordination with ongoing concerns about counterterrorism effectiveness, suggests a fundamental reassessment of U.S.-Somalia security cooperation may be underway. The implications could reshape not only the military partnership but also the broader relationship between Washington and Mogadishu in the years ahead.