Mogadishu: The semi-autonomous Puntland government in Somalia confirmed on Sunday that American airstrikes in the Golis Mountains had eliminated key figures within the Islamic State (IS) group.

The announcement came after US President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social late Saturday that he had ordered precision military airstrikes targeting a senior ISIS attack planner and other militants in Somalia.

While Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked group, remains Somalia's most dominant militant organization, IS has been increasing its activities in the region.

Since December, Puntland Defence Forces (PDF) have been conducting counterterrorism operations against IS militants in northern Somalia, particularly in the Golis Mountains, where the group has established a stronghold.

"Recent airstrikes have led to the neutralization of key figures within ISIS, marking a significant advancement as we progress into the second phase of our operation," the Puntland government stated.

The statement also described US air support as "invaluable", expressing "sincere gratitude" for the assistance. However, no further details were provided regarding the number of casualties or identities of the IS leaders killed.

Somali government confirms joint operation

The Somali federal government in Mogadishu also released a statement confirming that the operation in the Bari region was jointly coordinated between Somalia and the United States. The strikes specifically targeted senior IS leaders, though officials did not disclose their names.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was briefed on the airstrikes Saturday night, with the presidential office describing the attack as reinforcing the "strong security partnership" between Somalia and the United States.

"Terrorism will neither find friends nor any place to call home in Puntland state and the entire Somalia," President Mohamud stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, extending his gratitude to Washington.

No civilian casualties reported

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed that initial assessments indicated "multiple IS operatives were killed" in the airstrikes.

He also emphasized that no civilians were harmed during the operation.

The US military has been actively supporting Somalia's counterterrorism efforts, particularly in targeting Al-Shabaab and IS strongholds in the region.