The USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier was also relentlessly bombing targets in Somalia while also attacking Houthi threats in Yemen, a top admiral revealed Monday.
The aircraft carrier dropped 125,000 pounds of ordinance on ISIS targets in Somalia in addition to its main mission in Yemen, Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby said at the Council on Foreign Relations according to Stars and Stripes Wednesday. ISIS has bolstered its presence in Somalia, growing from about 500 fighters to 1,500 over 18 months, with roughly 60% being of foreign origin, a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) spokesperson told Stars and Stripes.
Kilby said the carrier conducted the “largest airstrike in the history of the world” during its deployment. The Truman moved to the Mediterranean Sea on May 19 to position itself to return to American shores after an eight-month deployment. (RELATED: ‘Capitulated’: Trump Says US Will Cease Bombing Operations Against Houthis)
Somalia has long been a breeding ground for terrorist activity, the most notable group being al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist organization. The ISIS branch in Somalia formed when they defected from al-Shabaab in 2015.
The latest strikes in Somalia occurred on Saturday, targeting al-Shabaab positions just over 100 miles north of Mogadishu, AFRICOM announced Tuesday.
The Truman made headlines after it was reported that the carrier lost three fighters during its Red Sea deployment, one of which fell off the carrier April 28. The F/A-18 Super Hornet cost nearly $60 million each to produce, according to Navy estimates.
The U.S. launched attacks on the Houthi rebels in March to curtail their threat to global shipping, Israel and U.S. Naval vessels. The rebels have launched close to 500 attacks on shipping vessels and Israel since October 2023, according to the International Crisis Group.
President Donald Trump said in April that the rebels had “capitulated,” agreeing to not launch further attacks as long as the U.S. ceases its bombing operations. However, the campaign was reportedly not going as well as expected while costs continued to climb, prompting the deal with the rebels, administration officials told The New York Times.
Iran has supported the Shia Muslim rebels since 2009, increasing their assistance after the rebels captured the capital of Sanaa in 2014, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
AFRICOM did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
