US Airlifted Supplies to Somali Security Forces
The US military transport aviation delivered supplies to Somali troops during a counterterrorism operation in a remote region of Somalia.
The details of the operation were reported by the Somali publication Horseed Media.
The government of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region within Somalia, with the support of the US Air Force, successfully delivered food and military supplies to its units fighting local Islamic State and Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab groups.
US military cargo planes picked up the cargo at Bosaso airport, the country’s key port city, and delivered it to the mountainous Al-Miskad area, where Puntland’s defense forces are based.
Footage of Puntland Defense Forces fighters shows a US C-130 dropping cargo equipped with parachute systems in an area inaccessible to ground vehicles.
Most likely, the aircraft in the photo belongs to the 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, based at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, which periodically flies to Somalia to deliver supplies.
The US military released photos of preparations for an airborne operation, showing boxes of food and other cargo being packed onto special pallets for air transport.
After packing, parachute systems are installed on the pallets, which are then loaded onto a US Air Force C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft.
The role of the US in the fight against terrorism in Somalia
The US supports a contingent of special forces, including USSOCOM (Special Operations Command) in Somalia, which is tasked with supporting Somali military raids, as well as reconnaissance and coordination of US air strikes.
US units periodically carry out missions in areas of jihadist activity in northern Somalia, particularly in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, but are mainly based closer to Mogadishu or at temporary forward operating bases.
The US is conducting intensive air strikes against Islamic State and Al-Shabaab targets using reconnaissance and strike drones operating from air bases in Djibouti. In 2022–2024, several key commanders were reported to have been killed.
In particular, in May, the US Africa Command released footage of a new airstrike on a gathering of Islamic State militants in Somalia.
“This brings the total number of bloodthirsty terrorists killed since President Trump took office to over 100,” the White House said.
As a reminder, the administration of US President Donald Trump is considering recognizing the self-proclaimed entity of Somaliland, which wants to secede from Somalia, in exchange for permission to establish an American naval base.
