The United States has not carried out an airstrike against ISIS in Somalia, particularly Puntland, for three months, with the last strike on May 6, 2026, targeting members of the group in the Calmiskaad mountains.
Data presented by New America, which follows US operations in Somalia, said that since May 6, there has been no other US airstrike against ISIS-Somalia, despite 13 US airstrikes against Al-Shabaab in Somalia during that period.
US airstrikes against ISIS have largely taken place in the mountainous areas of Puntland, particularly in the Calmiskaad mountains, where the group is suspected of having bases.
AFRICOM commander General Dagvin Anderson has previously said that US support in the form of intelligence gathering and airstrikes has put intense pressure on ISIS-Somalia, forcing the group’s leaders to hide in caves in the mountains.
A United Nations report also said that ISIS-Somalia’s strength has declined, with its number of fighters estimated at around 300.
However, ISIS-Somalia leader Abdulqadir Mumin is still believed to be in the Al-Khalifa Mountains, meaning that the cessation of US airstrikes does not yet mean that operations against the group have ended.
