The United States conducted its first airstrike against Al Qaeda affiliate terror organization in Somalia, Al Shabaab; the first since President Biden came to power. The airstrike was conducted to support Somalia’s military efforts in a village outside Galkayo, a town located 700 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu.
The information was released by the Pentagon and while the initial BDA wasn’t released, the strike was complimentary to SNA’s ground offensive against the militants in the region. Al Shabaab has been ramping up its attacks and operations in recent weeks and as such the strikes are a necessary and timely CT intervention.
Since his inauguration, Biden limited the use of drones against jihadist groups outside US theaters of war which limited the number of airstrikes, especially in Somalia and Libya. In March, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that any planned strikes against jihadist groups outside Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq were now submitted to the White House before being carried out.
