US escalates covert airstrikes in Somalia

The Trump administration has escalated covert but increasingly aggressive airstrikes in Somalia to record levels since monitoring began. The campaign targets Al-Shabaab (Al-Qaeda affiliate) and ISIS-Somalia. AFRICOM has largely stopped publishing civilian casualty data, but monitoring groups like Airwars report dozens of civilian deaths, including 12 civilians killed in a single strike on Jamaame (8 children). Despite the strikes, terrorist groups continue to strengthen their positions in the region.