Turns Out US Bombed Somalia During Month-Long Houthi Barrage In ‘Largest Airstrike In The History Of The World’
The USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier and strike group was also relentlessly bombing targets in Somalia while also attacking Houthi threats in Yemen, a top admiral revealed Monday. The aircraft carrier and its strike…
The USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier and strike group was also relentlessly bombing targets in Somalia while also attacking Houthi threats in Yemen, a top admiral revealed Monday.
The aircraft carrier and its strike group dropped 125,000 pounds of ordinance on ISIS targets in Somalia in addition to its main mission in Yemen, Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby said at the Council on Foreign Relations according to Stars and Stripes. ISIS has bolstered its presence in Somalia, growing from about 500 fighters to 1,500 over 18 months, with roughly 60% being of foreign origin, a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) spokesperson told Stars and Stripes.
Kilby said the carrier conducted the “largest airstrike in the history of the world,” during its deployment. The Truman moved to the Mediterranean Sea on May 19 to position itself to return to American shores after an eight-month deployment.
Somalia has long been a breeding ground for terrorist activity, the most notable group being al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist organization. The ISIS branch in Somalia formed when they defected from al-Shabaab in 2015.
The latest strikes in Somalia occurred on Saturday, targeting al-Shabaab positions just over 100 miles north of Mogadishu, AFRICOM announced