AFRICOM Announces 56th Somalia Airstrike of 2026, Targeting ISIS-Somalia Near Bosaso

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced on April 19, 2026 (AFRICOM Press Release #36380) that it had conducted its 56th Somalia airstrike of the year on April 17, targeting ISIS-Somalia in Puntland approximately 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Bosaso. The strike continues AFRICOM's intensified 2026 campaign against ISIS-Somalia cave complexes in the Golis/Cal Miskaad mountain range, following previous strikes on March 8, 16, and 18 in the same area. At 56 strikes by April 17, AFRICOM is on pace to surpass 200 Somalia airstrikes in 2026 — more than triple the prior annual record of 63 (2019). The accelerated tempo reflects expanded strike authority granted to AFRICOM by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth early in 2026. ISIS-Somalia operates in Puntland's Bari Region with a small but persistent presence that AFRICOM and the FGS have prioritized alongside the larger Al-Shabaab campaign in south-central Somalia.