On 15 July 2024, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), in reaction to a request from the Somali federal government, guided an airstrike targeting Al Shabaab terrorists. The procedure, which took place near Ceel Dheere, about 170 km northeast of Mogadishu, resulted in the demise of ten militants without any civilian deaths.
According to an initial AFRICOM statement, this intervention was an aspect of a collective defence context, following an Al Shabaab raid on Somali forces, necessitating critical medical evacuation of several wounded fighters. This activity aligns with AFRICOM’s ongoing obligations to support security measures in Somalia and prevent terrorist activities in the region.
AFRICOM, located in Stuttgart, Germany, works near the Danab Advanced Infantry Brigade, an elite team of Somali special forces and other regional partners, to support local defence capabilities and security in East Africa. The Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), critical to U.S. operations in the area, plays a crucial function in providing training, equipment, and logistical backing to Somali troops.
The U.S. military infrastructure in Somalia contains the Baledogle Airfield, which functions as a central hub for surveillance missions and airstrikes directed against terrorist companies. U.S. forces deploy drones such as the MQ-9 Reaper there, specialised in accuracy strikes and surveillance tasks essential to the success of procedures against Al Shabaab.
Despite a partial corps withdrawal under the previous government, the United States continues to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions to actively help the fight against terrorism in Somalia. The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has stationed several branches in Somalia, including the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), which recreates a vital role in U.S. operations in the area. This force concentrates on helping Somali forces in their fight against Al Shabaab.
According to AFRICOM officials, there are calculated to be between 5,000 and 7,000 Al Shabaab militants and between 100 and 300 ISIS-Somalia warriors in the country. The CJTF-HOA delivers a variety of supports including training, tools, as well as logistical, medical, and intelligence service to the African Union and Somali armed forces. U.S. forces also operate closely with the Danab Advanced Infantry Brigade, an elite team of Somali special forces, to improve their operational capabilities.
CJTF-HOA processes in Somalia include targeted airstrikes and coordinated defence operations to defend local associate forces against Al Shabaab attacks. The unit also recreates a crucial position in the medical evacuation of Somali soldiers wounded in combat against terrorist groups. AFRICOM’s aerial capacities deployed in Somalia primarily include spying, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) outlets, both manned and unmanned, working from Baledogle Airfield, northwest of Mogadishu. These ISR tasks are vital for counter-terrorism operations, notably helping the Danab advanced infantry brigade. Baledogle Airfield is important to these operations, housing U.S. and Somali special forces, as well as drones operated in counter-terrorism missions.
Despite the partial army withdrawal under the previous administration, ISR tasks have continued to ensure continued support for counter-terrorism operations in Somalia. Drones used by AFRICOM for showing airstrikes in Somalia mainly include surveillance and observation drones like the MQ-9 Reaper, competent in performing precision strikes on terrorist targets, including Al Shabaab militants and other extremist parties.
