By The U.S. military carried out an airstrike in Somalia late last month, targeting Abdulqadir Mumin, the global leader of ISIS, according to three U.S. officials. However, they cannot confirm whether Mumin was among the three militants killed in the operation.
On May 31, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) released a statement saying it had conducted an airstrike against ISIS militants in a remote area 81 km (50 miles) southeast of Bosaso, Somalia, resulting in the deaths of three militants. The statement did not disclose the target or the identities of those killed, but it did report that no civilians were harmed in the strike.
Two U.S. officials have revealed that Mumin, who was publicly identified as the head of the ISIS affiliate in Somalia, quietly became the worldwide leader of the terror group last year. A senior administration official confirmed the U.S. carried out a strike against a senior ISIS target in Somalia but declined to provide the individual’s name, stating that the U.S. is still working to verify the outcome.
According to a senior defense official, ISIS in Somalia is relatively small, with only 100 to 200 total fighters, all located in northern Somalia. However, there are other small ISIS groups throughout parts of Africa, including Libya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique. Despite this, ISIS still has thousands of fighters worldwide, primarily in northern Iraq and northeastern Syria, according to U.S. intelligence agencies.
The U.S. has been effective against ISIS leadership in Iraq and Syria, prompting ISIS leaders to view Africa as a place where they can invest and operate more freely. The senior defense official stated that ISIS brought the caliph to the region to expand their presence and that the cells around Africa have grown due to strategic direction from ISIS leadership.
The official also noted that ISIS militants in Somalia operate more effectively in certain ways than other terror networks active in the country, including evading the FBI and Interpol and sharing their tactics, techniques, and procedures with one another, such as financing.
As the U.S. awaits confirmation of the outcome of the airstrike targeting Abdulqadir Mumin, the global fight against ISIS continues, with a focus on preventing the terror group from establishing strongholds in Africa and other regions around the world.
NBC.com
