BREAKING: Trump orders military airstrikes on ISIS leader, terrorists ‘hiding in caves’ in Somalia

Trump posted on X, "This morning I ordered precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia. These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians."

"Our Military has targeted this ISIS Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did! The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that 'WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!'"

Pete Hegseth, Trump's recently confirmed Secretary of Defense, said in a statement that the US worked with the federal government of Somalia in order to carry out the attack on the terrorists, and that no civilians were harmed during the airstrike.

"At President Trump's direction and in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, I authorized U.S. Africa Command to conduct coordinated airstrikes today targeting ISIS-Somalia operatives in the Golis mountains," Hegseth stated.

"Our initial assessment is that multiple operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed. This action further degrades ISIS's ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies, even as we conduct robust border-protection and many other operations under President Trump's leadership."

Leading up to his presidency and during the campaign, Trump vowed to establish “peace through strength” on multiple occasions. The airstrike sends a message of deterrence, much like the strike that killed Iranian leader Qasem Soleimani during his first administration.

According to The Hill, ISIS has been degraded as a terror organization, but rebounded somewhat in recent years under the Biden administration, claiming multiple attacks around the world in 2024.