US AFRICOM strikes ISIS positions in Somalia

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has carried out strikes against Islamic State positions in Somalia, according to an official statement.

AFRICOM reported on its website that the operation was conducted on March 29 in coordination with the Somali government. The strikes targeted Islamic State positions southeast of Bosaso in Somalia’s Puntland region.

The military statement indicated that the militants posed a threat to US forces. No additional details about the operation were provided.

This military action follows a recent report by Semafor on March 28 that Somalia’s government had offered the US “exclusive operational control” over strategic ports on the Gulf of Aden.

According to the report, which cited a letter from Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to US President Donald Trump, the offer included “strategically positioned assets” such as the Berbera port and airbase in Somaliland, and the Bosaso port and airbase in Puntland.

The report noted that these assets are not currently under the control of Somalia’s federal government.

The Bosaso area, where the recent strikes took place, is located in the same region as one of the ports mentioned in the reported diplomatic communication.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​