- US expands military presence in Somalia amid ongoing militant threats and instability
- New base in Bosaso aims to enhance maritime security and counterterrorism operations
- US drone strikes in Somalia have increased, with over 200 airstrikes since Trump’s administration
The United States is reportedly expanding its presence in Somalia, where militants continue to maintain a presence. This comes even as the possibility of a US-Iran ceasefire appears dim.
US surveillance drones have been spotted carrying out reconnaissance missions in Togga Miraale and Togga Baalade, two areas that are considered strongholds for ISIS militants, as per DropSite.
A new US military base is being developed in the port city of Bosaso, home to around a million people. The endeavour is at the centre of efforts in a planned US militarisation of one of the world's most strategic waterways.
About 25% of global maritime traffic flows through the Gulf of Aden, where Bosaso is located. The city is known as a major route for human trafficking and refugee flows into the Middle East.
Growing US Military Presence In Somalia
The United States has carried out an increasing number of drone strikes and raids supporting the Somali government in the conflict against ISIS.
Under the Donald Trump administration, the US has carried out more airstrikes in Somalia than under any other president combined. Just 10 days after he was sworn in for the second time, President Trump announced that the United States had targeted a senior ISIS figure in Somalia. Since then, 205 US airstrikes have been carried out, with 53% of the attacks targeting ISIS, as per think tank New America.
The new military base in Bosaso will be used for enhancing maritime security as well as for combat and surveillance operations targeting “terror groups” in the region, Somali security officials told Dropsite. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) will also expand its operations there, as per officials.
The US had created a counter terrorism unit in Somalia after 9/11 as well. Called the Puntland Security Force (PSF), the elite counterterrorism unit has been carrying out operations even after American support ended in 2020.
US Faces New Threat In Somalia?
Reports of the new US base come as the American government faces the prospect of an unlikely alliance between Yemen's Houthi rebels, linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the al-Shabaab terror group, which has been fighting in Somalia for two decades.
Yemen and Somalia sit on opposite sides of the Gulf of Aden.
With the Strait of Hormuz still facing disruption, the Gulf of Aden could become more vital for oil shipments, as per the Wall Street Journal. The efforts could complicate the security situation in the Horn of Africa if Houthi-al-Shabaab gains access to more advanced weapons, drones and training.
For the Houthis, deeper links with al-Shabaab could provide greater reach across the Gulf of Aden, possibly helping the group develop new ways to monitor or threaten maritime traffic.
The US has stepped up military action against al-Shabaab, conducting around 40 airstrikes against the group in Somalia this year.
