Friday September 5, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said Friday its troops came under indirect fire on Thursday near the southern Somali city of Kismayo but reported no casualties or damage.
“U.S. and African partner forces took indirect fire near Kismayo, Somalia today. No U.S. injuries or casualties reported. No reports of damage to the base or Coalition property at this time,” AFRICOM said
in a statement posted on its official X account.
Al-Shabab claimed through its media outlets that fighters targeted Kismayo’s airport, where U.S. personnel are based. The group alleged the raid killed and wounded American troops and described the assault as a planned operation carried out as intended.
The militants also said the attack was retaliation for what they called U.S.-backed Israeli operations against Palestinians in Gaza.
AFRICOM disputed those claims, noting that Al-Shabab “routinely disseminates false and exaggerated claims regarding attacks to undermine public trust” and urged such statements to be treated with skepticism.
The outpost near Kismayo serves as a hub for U.S. and Somali operations, including airstrikes against Al-Shabab in Jubbaland, where the group maintains a strong presence. The United States has several hundred troops in Somalia, providing training, intelligence, and support to Somali forces fighting the insurgency.
The attack near Kismayo comes the same week AFRICOM announced a series of strikes against ISIS-Somalia. In coordination with the Somali federal government, U.S. forces carried out airstrikes on Aug. 31, Sept. 1, and Sept. 2 in the Golis Mountains, about 50 kilometers southwest of Bossaso. AFRICOM said the operations were aimed at degrading ISIS-Somalia’s ability to plan and conduct attacks against Somalia, U.S. forces, and American citizens abroad. Specific details on units and assets involved were withheld for operational security.