The U.S. military conducted an airstrike in Somalia, killing and eliminating several militants affiliated with the Islamic State, former U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday. He stated that he had ordered this operation, carried out by his directives, resulting in the deaths of these terrorists, who have been hiding in caves in Somalia. According to Trump, the attack did not affect the local civilian population, and the U.S. forces were acting in accordance with the interests of national security.
While it's still unclear the number of militant deaths in that airstrike, Trump said his operation was "focused on obliterating the ISIS terrorists and those who attempt to do the United States or its allies and friends harm" while noting such a move fell within a general approach to eradicating terror and extremism -- a key subject during his stay.
Moreover, Trump criticized the incumbent President Joe Biden for his response to similar threats, stating that Biden had not acted upon ISIS accordingly. He mentioned that under Biden's leadership, matters regarding ISIS and other threats in Somalia had not been addressed properly. He claimed that even though U.S. troops had aimed at eliminating and killing ISIS leaders in Somalia since some years back, nothing much has been done to ensure the complete eradiation of ISIS by Biden and his team.
In his social media post, Trump sent out a very clear message: "This is a warning to ISIS and anyone else who seeks to harm America: We will find you, and we will destroy you." It was the first big military action taken by the U.S. under Trump since he restored his lead in the polls. Also, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud confirmed the cooperation between his government and the U.S. military in this successful strike against ISIS militants operating in the region.