Somalia: US Airstrike Kills Two al-Shabab Members

Facts

• A US airstrike on Sun. is said to have killed two members of the al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab in Somalia. The attack was reportedly the first major US military operation in the country since Pres. Biden reinstated troops in May.¹
• According to US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the attack was carried out in coordination with the Somali government in response to an Al-Shabab attack on 'partner forces.'¹
• While AFRICOM said that no civilians were injured or killed, human rights activists accused the US military of a lack of transparency in its Somalia operations.²
• The latest attack occurred when, also on Sun., a car bombing claimed by al-Shabaab destroyed a popular hotel, killing at least 5 people and injuring 14 others.³
• Reversing former Pres. Trump's troop withdrawal from Somalia, Biden approved the redeployment of several hundred Special Operations troops on a 'persistent' basis in May.¹
• Washington's announcement coincided with the election of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the new president of Somalia. Somalia is about 70% controlled by Al-Shabaab in its southern and central parts.⁴

Sources: ¹Bloomberg, ²Reuters, ³Daily Sabah and ⁴Washington Post.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Star. The US conducted this strike alongside its regional ally Somalia to combat terrorists that are actively trying to overthrow a democratically-elected government. As shown by the lack of civilian casualties, the US takes minimizing non-combatant deaths seriously and is working in tandem with Somali partners to ensure the safety of their civilian population.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Responsible Statecraft. The US has been bombing Somalian soil for three decades now, and what good has come from Washington's intervention in this vulnerable East African state? Any 'national security' threat posed by Somali militants has been the result of US meddling, and it's time America stopped fighting there completely.