Intensified US and Somali Counterterrorism Strikes Coincide with Civilian Protection and Electoral Milestones

Somali federal and partner forces, bolstered by an active United States air campaign, have intensified counterterrorism operations against al-Shabaab and ISIS militants across southern and central Somalia as well as Puntland. Concurrently, the Federal Government launched its first National Policy on the Protection of Civilians during armed conflicts to enforce accountability within security forces. These security developments unfold alongside major domestic political transitions, including the initiation of voter registration for direct 2026 elections and heightened political friction within parliamentary leadership.

// Background

U.S. military operations in Somalia date back decades, significantly escalating following the 2006 Ethiopian invasion that dismantled the Islamic Courts Union. Al-Shabaab evolved as a radical faction from that conflict, staging its first recorded suicide bombing in 2007 and officially affiliating with al-Qaeda in 2012. An ISIS branch subsequently emerged in Puntland's mountainous regions in 2015. On the political front, Somalia has long operated under an indirect 4.5 clan power-sharing model, having not held direct one-person, one-vote elections since 1967.

// Key Developments

• U.S. Africa Command has officially acknowledged at least 80 airstrikes in Somalia this year, continuing high-tempo strikes targeting al-Shabaab and ISIS militants.
• A joint operation by Somali intelligence (NISA) and international partners killed 18 al-Shabab fighters and eliminated two combat vehicles near Mabaah in the Hiiraan region.
• Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi officially launched the National Policy on the Protection of Civilians during Military Operations and Armed Conflict.
• The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission began voter registration in Mogadishu for Somalia's first direct one-person, one-vote election since 1967.
• Former intelligence director Fahad Yasin leveled political accusations against newly elected House Speaker Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur over controversial past and recent security operations.