The United States has accelerated air strikes against Al-Shabaab and Islamic State in Somalia this year, according to US Africa Command data.
Washington has waged a long, shadowed campaign in Somalia, targeting jihadist groups since the mid-2000s, after Al-Shabaab first emerged from chaos.
Since January 1, the United States has carried out 23 strikes in Somalia, Africom spokeswoman Major Mahalia Frost told AFP.
Frost said the new uptick reflects a broader American push against Islamic State networks across Africa, including Christmas Day strikes in Nigeria.
Africom commander Lieutenant General John Brennan said the military has grown more aggressive, working closely with partners to strike ISIS-linked threats.
He said the battles from Somalia to Nigeria are intertwined, forming a single web of violence demanding coordinated intelligence and sustained pressure.
Following Nigeria’s strikes on Islamic State Sahel Province targets, the Pentagon pledged deeper intelligence sharing with Nigerian security forces.
Brennan said the strategy increasingly focuses on empowering partners, providing equipment and looser restrictions to sharpen their battlefield effectiveness.
The recent Somalia strikes also targeted Al-Shabaab, which continues to cast a long, brutal shadow over the Horn of Africa.
US military involvement surged under President Donald Trump’s first term, with far more strikes than during Barack Obama’s eight years, according to New America.
Trump has already ordered at least 143 strikes in his second term, the think tank’s tally shows, extending the tempo of operations.
Earlier this month, Somalia announced the killing of senior Al-Shabaab commander Abdullahi Osman Mohamed Abukar in a joint US operation.