U.S. Resumes Airstrikes Against Al-Shabaab in Somalia After Brief Pause, Africom Says

The United States military has resumed airstrikes against Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia following a short operational pause, U.S. Africa Command (Africom) announced, signalling an intensification of Washington’s long-running counterterrorism campaign in the Horn of Africa. The operations were carried out in coordination with the Somali government, according to a statement from U.S. military officials.

A Renewed Air Campaign

The decision to resume strikes comes after what officials described as a brief lull in aerial operations, during which U.S. forces reassessed their targeting approach and coordinated with Somali partners on the ground. Africom said the renewed campaign reflects a continued commitment to degrading Al-Shabaab’s capacity to plan and execute attacks against civilians, Somali security forces, and international targets in the region.

Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, has remained one of the most resilient Islamist insurgent groups in Africa, controlling swaths of rural central and southern Somalia despite more than a decade of military pressure from Somali, African Union, and international forces. The group has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to carry out large-scale attacks in Mogadishu and beyond, and has exploited political instability and clan tensions to expand its influence.

Coordination With Somali Authorities

U.S. officials emphasised that the strikes are being conducted in close partnership with the Somali federal government, a point that officials in Mogadishu have publicly endorsed in past operations. The collaboration typically involves intelligence-sharing, target identification, and post-strike assessments aimed at minimising civilian casualties — a persistent concern surrounding aerial operations in densely populated areas of the country.

Human rights organisations have, in previous years, raised questions about the toll of the U.S. air campaign on Somali civilians, prompting calls for greater transparency in the targeting process. Africom has consistently stated that it investigates reports of civilian harm and incorporates lessons learned into subsequent operations.

Broader Strategic Context

The resumption of strikes comes at a time when Somalia’s security forces, supported by African Union peacekeeping troops and international partners, are working to push Al-Shabaab out of remaining strongholds. The United States has maintained a significant presence in Somalia since the early 1990s and has, in addition to air operations, trained and equipped Somali special forces units tasked with conducting ground operations against militant cells.

Analysts note that while the U.S. air campaign has weakened Al-Shabaab’s senior leadership and disrupted its logistics networks, the group has shown a persistent ability to regenerate fighters and mount operations, underscoring the limits of an airpower-centric approach. The renewed strikes are likely to draw renewed attention from humanitarian groups monitoring the conflict’s impact on civilians in the region.

Looking Ahead

It remains unclear how long the renewed operations will continue or whether additional pauses or escalations are planned. Africom has indicated that the pace of operations will be guided by operational requirements and the situation on the ground. For the Somali government, the resumption of U.S. support is expected to provide a boost to ongoing efforts to stabilise areas liberated from insurgent control, though long-term security will depend on sustained governance and development in those regions.

Source: AllAfrica — read the original report.