The US has sharply escalated its bombing campaign in Somalia, carrying out airstrikes at a record pace while refusing to provide detailed public information on who is being killed.
The Trump administration is pursuing an increasingly aggressive military campaign in the Horn of Africa, targeting al-Shabaab and the IS-Somalia faction in the north of the country.
But as Washington intensifies its attacks, civilian casualties remain disputed, accountability is almost non-existent, and Somali families affected by US strikes have still not received compensation.
The strikes form part of America’s long-running “war on terror”, even though al-Shabaab has never carried out an attack inside the US.
Washington says the campaign is aimed at weakening al-Shabaab and supporting security in Somalia. However, the group continues to control large parts of the country, maintain influence over key roads, and challenge the authority of the Somali government.
Al-Shabaab
US airstrikes in Somalia began after al-Shabaab’s rise and its designation by Washington as a foreign terrorist organisation in 2008. The campaign expanded significantly after drone strikes were introduced in 2011.
What began as a limited campaign targeting senior militant figures has grown into a sustained bombing operation.
According to the latest data, the US has carried out 64 strikes in Somalia this year, averaging one bombing every two or three days. This has already surpassed the total number of strikes conducted throughout Joe Biden’s presidency.
Trump has carried out 190 strikes in Somalia during his second term so far, compared with 219 during his first term and 51 under Biden.
The increase has been driven by looser rules of engagement, allowing US forces to strike more frequently with less public scrutiny.
Despite this escalation, the impact on al-Shabaab has been limited. Analysts say the conflict remains in a strategic stalemate, with US airpower failing to decisively shift the balance on the ground.
Last year, al-Shabaab fighters reportedly advanced to within 25 miles of Mogadishu, underlining the limits of Washington’s military-first approach.
Civilian casualties remain one of the most controversial aspects of the campaign.
US Africa Command has admitted to killing only six Somali civilians. However, the monitoring group Airwars has documented 103 alleged incidents and estimates that US strikes may have killed up to 170 Somali civilians.
A Guardian investigation into one strike in Jamaame last year found evidence that 12 civilians were killed, including eight children.
Despite years of pressure from lawyers and human rights groups, the US government has not paid compensation to a single Somali casualty or affected family.
For many Somalis, the campaign reflects a familiar pattern of Western military intervention: foreign powers bombing Muslim countries in the name of security, while civilians are left to bury the dead and live with the consequences.
Washington insists it is fighting terrorism. But in Somalia, its expanding air war has brought more bombs, less transparency, and no justice for the families caught beneath them.
