The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has launched a high-speed airstrike in Somalia, aimed at stopping the Islamic State (ISIS) group, which the United States says is still moving into the country, according to military sources.
A U.S. warship, the USS Harry S. Truman, conducted the largest airstrike ever conducted by a warship during a recent operation off the coast of Somalia, Admiral James Kilby, the commander of the U.S. Navy, said.
The ship dropped an estimated 125,000 pounds of artillery and other military equipment on targets inside Somalia.
Admiral Kilby spoke at an event at the Robert B. McKeon Center for Global Affairs, which focuses on military strategy and leadership.
AFRICOM has conducted 25 airstrikes in Somalia, most of which targeted ISIS members, according to an official statement from the command.
According to the report, the ISIS wing in Somalia has grown significantly, with the number of fighters from about 500 a year and a half ago reaching 1,500, of whom about 60% are foreigners, according to the Stars and Stripes newspaper.
