US airstrikes in Somalia killed up to 174 people in 2025, monitoring group says

MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least 109 to 174 people have been killed in 34 U.S. airstrikes conducted in Somalia so far in 2025, according to a report released by the New America Foundation, a Washington-based policy institute that monitors American drone and airstrike campaigns worldwide.

The organization did not specify the exact number of non-combatants killed. During Trump's first term, AFRICOM carried out 219 airstrikes in Somalia that left 6-31 civilians dead, according to the report. 

The rise in airstrikes coincides with an escalation in U.S. military operations against extremist groups operating in Somalia, including al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia. U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has intensified its efforts to support the Somali government in counterterrorism operations across the country.

General Michael Langley, commander of AFRICOM, recently acknowledged the uptick in strikes, saying the U.S. remains committed to “disrupting and degrading” extremist networks that pose a threat to regional and international stability.

Somalia has seen a surge in violence in recent months, with U.S. airpower playing an increasingly visible role in operations aimed at dismantling insurgent strongholds in remote regions.

Human rights groups have repeatedly called for more transparency and accountability around U.S. military actions in Somalia, particularly in cases where civilian casualties are alleged.

GAROWE ONLINE