{{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Operation Enduring Freedom
Horn of Africa , partof =

War on Terror The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 a ...

, image = Operation Enduring Freedom - djibouti2

, caption = French Naval commandos (green) and United States soldiers from the

3rd Infantry Regiment The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is ' ...

(tan) participate in an exercise at Djibouti in June 2004. , date = 7 October 2002 – ''present''
({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=10, day1=07, year1 = 2002) , place =

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004 ...

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Chann ...

Guardafui Channel The Guardafui Channel ( so, Marinka Gardafuul) is an oceanic strait off the tip of the Horn of Africa that lies between the Puntland region of Somalia and Socotra to the west of the Arabian Sea. It connects the Gulf of Aden to the north with the ...

, casus = , territory = , result = Ongoing * 21 high level Al-Shabaab leaders killed , combatant1 = {{Flagu, NATO: * {{Flag, Albania * {{Flag, Belgium * {{Flag, Bulgaria * {{Flag, Canada * {{Flag, Croatia * {{Flag, Czech Republic * {{Flag, Denmark * {{Flag, Estonia * {{Flag, France * {{Flag, Germany * {{Flag, Greece * {{Flag, Hungary * {{Flag, Iceland * {{Flag, Italy * {{Flag, Latvia * {{Flag, Lithuania * {{Flag, Luxembourg * {{Flag, Montenegro * {{Flag, Netherlands * {{Flag, North Macedonia * {{Flag, Norway * {{Flag, Poland * {{Flag, Portugal * {{Flag, Romania * {{Flag, Slovakia * {{Flag, Slovenia * {{Flag, Spain * {{Flag, Turkey * {{Flag, United Kingdom * {{Flag, United States CJTF-HOA allies: * {{Flag, Djibouti * {{Flag, Ethiopia * {{Flag, Kenya * {{Flag, Sudan * {{Flag, Seychelles * {{Flag, Somalia {{Flagu, European Union: * {{Flag, Austria * {{Flag, Cyprus * {{Flag, Finland * {{Flag, Ireland * {{Flag, Malta * {{flag, Sweden {{Flagu, SADC: * {{Flag, Angola * {{Flag, Botswana * {{Flag, Comoros * {{Flag, Democratic Republic of the Congo * {{Flag, Eswatini * {{Flag, Lesotho * {{Flag, Madagascar * {{Flag, Malawi * {{Flag, Mauritius * {{Flag, Mozambique * {{Flag, Namibia * {{Flag, South Africa * {{Flag, Tanzania * {{Flag, Zambia * {{Flag, Zimbabwe Non-NATO allies: * {{Flag, Australia * {{Flag, Azerbaijan * {{Flag, Belarus * {{Flag, China * {{Flag, Colombia * {{Flag, Eritrea * {{Flag, India * {{Flag, Indonesia * {{Flag, Iran * {{Flag, Japan * {{Flag, Kazakhstan * {{Flag, Kyrgyzstan * {{Flag, Liechtenstein * {{Flag, Malaysia * {{Flag, Maldives * {{Flag, New Zealand * {{Flag, Oman * {{Flag, Pakistan * {{Flag, Philippines * {{Flag, Russia * {{Flag, Saudi Arabia * {{Flag, Serbia * {{Flag, Singapore * {{Flag, Somaliland * {{Flag, South Korea * {{Flag, Switzerland * {{Flag, Tajikistan * {{Flag, Thailand * {{Flag, Turkmenistan * {{Flag, Uganda * {{Flag, Ukraine * {{Flag, Uzbekistan * {{Flag, Yemen Dai Hong Dan incident: * {{Flag, North Korea , combatant2 =

Insurgents An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irr ...

: * {{flagicon image, AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic ter ...

(from 2015) ----- * {{flagicon image, Flag of al-Qaeda.svg

al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...

(from 2002) * {{flagicon image, AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg Al-Shabaab
(from 2006) * {{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg

al-Itihaad al-Islamiya Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya (AIAI; ar-at, الاتحاد الإسلامي, lit=The Islamic Union) was an Islamist militant group in Somalia. It is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Histor ...

(2002–06) * {{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg

Hizbul Islam Hizbul Islam ("Islamic Party"), also known as Hizbul Islaami, Hisbi Islam, or Hezb-ul Islam, was a Somali Islamist group formed after four Islamist groups merged to oppose the new Somali government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. The four gr ...

(2009–14) * {{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg

Ras Kamboni Brigades The Ras Kamboni Brigades also known as the Ras Kamboni Brigade, Muaskar Ras Kamboni or Mu'askar Ras Kamboni was an Islamist insurgent group active in Somalia (mostly in the Jubbalands), which took part in the anti-Ethiopian insurgency and later ...

(2007–10) * {{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Jabhatul Islamiya
(2007–09) * {{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Mu'askar Anole
(2007–09) ----

Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

: * Somali Marines{{cite web, first =John , last = Pike , url= http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/pirates.htm , title=Pirates , publisher=Global security , access-date=20 April 2011 * National Volunteer Coast Guard (NVCG) * Marka group * Puntland Group * Yemeni Pirates , commander1 = {{flagicon, United States Joe Biden
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Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

(2017–2021)
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Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

(2009–2017)
{{flagicon, United States George W. Bush
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Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person ...

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Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

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Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak (; born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since October 2022. He previously held two cabinet positions under Boris Johnson, lastly as ...

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Liz Truss Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped dow ...

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Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...

(2019–22)
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Theresa May Theresa Mary May, Lady May (; née Brasier; born 1 October 1956) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served in David Cameron's cab ...

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David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...

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Gordon Brown James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony ...

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Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...

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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to ...

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Abdullah Gül Abdullah Gül (; ; born 29 October 1950) is a Turkish politician who served as the 11th President of Turkey, in office from 2007 to 2014. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002 to 2003, and concurrently served as bo ...

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Ahmet Necdet Sezer Ahmet Necdet Sezer (; born 13 September 1941) is a Turkish statesman and judge who served as the tenth president of Turkey from 2000 to 2007. Previously he was president of the Constitutional Court of Turkey from 1998 to 2002. The Grand Nation ...

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Felipe VI Felipe VI (;, * eu, Felipe VI.a, * ca, Felip VI, * gl, Filipe VI, . Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. He is the son of former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, an ...

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Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

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Pedro Sánchez Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has been Prime Minister of Spain since June 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since June 2017, having p ...

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Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy Brey (; born 27 March 1955) is a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018, when a vote of no confidence ousted his government. On 5 June 2018, he announced his resignation as People's Party le ...

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José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (; born 4 August 1960) is a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was the Prime Minister of Spain being elected for two terms, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. ...

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José María Aznar José María Alfredo Aznar López (; born 25 February 1953) is a Spanish politician who was the prime minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He led the People's Party (PP), the dominant centre-right political party in Spain. A member of the Fre ...

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Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa (; born 12 December 1948) is a Portuguese politician and academic. He is the 20th and current president of Portugal, since 9 March 2016. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party, though he suspended hi ...

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Aníbal Cavaco Silva Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, Order of Christ (Portugal), GCC, Order of Liberty, GColL, Order of Prince Henry, GColIH (; born 15 July 1939) is a Portuguese economist who served as the 19th president of Portugal, in office from 9 March 2006 to 9 ...

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Jorge Sampaio Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio (; 18 September 1939 – 10 September 2021) was a Portuguese lawyer and politician who was the 18th president of Portugal from 1996 to 2006. A member of the Socialist Party, a party which he led between 1989 a ...

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Mark Rutte Mark Rutte (; born 14 February 1967) is a Dutch politician who has served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 2010 and Leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) since 2006. After a business career working for Unileve ...

(2010–present)
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Jan Peter Balkenende Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende Jr. (; born 7 May 1956) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and jurist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 to 14 October 2010. Balkenende studied ...

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Sergio Mattarella Sergio Mattarella (; born 23 July 1941) is an Italian politician, jurist, academic and lawyer who has served as the president of Italy since 2015. A Christian leftist politician, Mattarella was a leading member of the Christian Democracy par ...

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Giorgio Napolitano Giorgio Napolitano (; born 29 June 1925) is an Italian politician who served as president of Italy from 2006 to 2015, the first Italian president to be re-elected to the presidency. Due to his dominant position in Italian politics, some critics ...

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Carlo Azeglio Ciampi Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (; 9 December 1920 – 16 September 2016) was an Italian politician and banker who was the prime minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and the president of Italy from 1999 to 2006. Biography Education Ciampi was born ...

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Mario Draghi Mario Draghi (; born 3 September 1947) is an Italian economist, academic, banker and civil servant who served as prime minister of Italy from February 2021 to October 2022. Prior to his appointment as prime minister, he served as President of ...

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Giuseppe Conte Giuseppe Conte (; born 8 August 1964) is an Italian jurist, academic, and politician who served as prime minister of Italy from June 2018 to February 2021. He has been the president of the Five Star Movement (M5S) since August 2021. Cont ...

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Paolo Gentiloni Paolo Gentiloni Silveri (; born 22 November 1954) is an Italian politician who has served as European Commissioner for Economy in the von der Leyen Commission since 1 December 2019. He previously served as prime minister of Italy from Decembe ...

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{{flagicon, Italy Matteo Renzi
(2014–16)
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Enrico Letta Enrico Letta (; born 20 August 1966) is an Italian politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy from April 2013 to February 2014, leading a grand coalition of centre-left and centre-right parties. Since March 2021, Letta has been secretary ...

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Mario Monti Mario Monti, (born 19 March 1943) is an Italian economist and academic who served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 2011 to 2013, leading a technocratic government in the wake of the Italian debt crisis. Monti served as a European Commi ...

(2011–13)
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Romano Prodi Romano Antonio Prodi (; born 9 August 1939) is an Italian politician, economist, academic, senior civil servant, and business executive who served as the tenth president of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004. He served twice as Pr ...

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Silvio Berlusconi Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; born 29 September 1936) is an Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy in four governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies f ...

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Katerina Sakellaropoulou Katerina Sakellaropoulou ( el, Κατερίνα Σακελλαροπούλου, Latn, el, Katerína Sakellaropoúlou, ; born 30 May 1956) is a Greek judge who has been the president of Greece since 13 March 2020. She was elected by the Hellenic ...

(2020–present)
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Prokopis Pavlopoulos Prokopios Pavlopoulos ( el, Προκόπιος Παυλόπουλος, ; born 10 July 1950), commonly shortened to Prokopis (Προκόπης), is a Greek lawyer, university professor and politician who served as the president of Greece from 2015 ...

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Karolos Papoulias Karolos Papoulias ( el, Κάρολος Παπούλιας ; 4 June 1929 – 26 December 2021) was a Greek politician who served as the president of Greece from 2005 to 2015. A member of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), he previously ...

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Konstantinos Stephanopoulos Konstantinos "Kostis" Stephanopoulos ( el, Κωνσταντίνος (Κωστής) Στεφανόπουλος, 15 August 1926 – 20 November 2016) was a Greek conservative politician who served two consecutive terms as the president of Gree ...

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Olaf Scholz Olaf Scholz (; born ) is a German politician who has served as the chancellor of Germany since 8 December 2021. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), he previously served as Vice Chancellor under Angela Merkel and as Federal Minister ...

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Angela Merkel Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Opp ...

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Gerhard Schröder Gerhard Fritz Kurt "Gerd" Schröder (; born 7 April 1944) is a German lobbyist and former politician, who served as the chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. From 1999 to 2004, he was also the Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germa ...

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Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...

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François Hollande François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. He previously was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (France), First Secretary of the Socialist P ...

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Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...

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Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a Politics of France, French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to ...

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Margrethe II Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...

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Mette Frederiksen Mette Frederiksen (; born 19 November 1977) is a Danish politician who has been Prime Minister of Denmark since June 2019, and Leader of the Social Democrats since June 2015. The second woman to hold either office, she is also the youngest prime ...

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Lars Løkke Rasmussen Lars Løkke Rasmussen (; born 15 May 1964) is a Danish politician who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2022. He previously served as the 25th Prime Minister of Denmark from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2015 to 2019. He was the le ...

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Helle Thorning-Schmidt Helle Thorning-Schmidt (; born 14 December 1966) is a Danish retired politician who served as the 26th Prime Minister of Denmark from 2011 to 2015, and Leader of the Social Democrats from 2005 to 2015. She is the first woman to have held each ...

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Anders Fogh Rasmussen Anders Fogh Rasmussen (; born 26 January 1953) is a Danish politician who was the 24th Prime Minister of Denmark from November 2001 to April 2009 and the 12th Secretary General of NATO from August 2009 to October 2014. He became CEO of polit ...

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Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since ...

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Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...

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Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son ...

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Jean Chrétien Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien (; born January 11, 1934) is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 20th prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. Born and raised in Shawinigan, Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, Chrétien is a law gradua ...

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{{flagicon, Belgium Philippe
(2013–present)
{{flagicon, Belgium Albert II
(2002–13)
{{flagicon, Belgium

Alexander De Croo Alexander De Croo (born 3 November 1975) is a Belgian politician and businessman who has served as the prime minister of Belgium since October 2020. De Croo was born in Vilvoorde, Flemish Brabant, and studied business engineering at the Vrije ...

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Sophie Wilmès Sophie Wilmès (; born 15 January 1975) is a Belgian politician who served as the prime minister of Belgium from 2019 to 2020. She later served as minister of Foreign Affairs from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Reformist Movement, she is the fir ...

(2019–20)
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Charles Michel Charles Michel (; born 21 December 1975) is a Belgian politician serving as the president of the European Council since 2019. He previously served as the prime minister of Belgium between 2014 and 2019. Michel became the minister of Developm ...

(2014–19)
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Elio Di Rupo Elio Di Rupo (; born 18 July 1951) is a Belgian politician who has served as the minister-president of Wallonia since 2019. He is affiliated with the Socialist Party. Di Rupo previously served as the prime minister of Belgium from 6 December 201 ...

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Yves Leterme Yves Camille Désiré Leterme (; born 6 October 1960 in Wervik) is a Belgian politician, a leader of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V). He was the prime minister of Belgium, from November 2009 to December 2011. Leterme was th ...

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Guy Verhofstadt Guy Maurice Marie Louise Verhofstadt (; ; born 11 April 1953) is a Belgian politician who was the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe from 2009 to 2019, and has been a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Belgium ...

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Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician who is currently serving as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa. Formerly an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader, and ...

(2018–present)
{{flagicon, South Africa

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-aparth ...

(2009–2018)
{{flagicon, South Africa

Kgalema Motlanthe Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe (; born 19 July 1949) is a South African politician who was South Africa's third president of South Africa, president between 25 September 2008 and 9 May 2009, following Thabo Mbeki's resignation. Thereafter, he was depu ...

(2008–2009)
{{flagicon, South Africa

Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...

(2002–2008) , commander2 = {{flagicon image, ShababFlag.svg

Ahmad Umar Ahmad ( ar, أحمد, ʾAḥmad) is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other spellings of the name include Ahmed and Ahmet. Etymology The word derives from the root (ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from the ve ...

{{flagicon, Islamic State Abdul Qadir Mumin
Adan Eyrow {{KIA
Abu Mansoor*
Abdirahman Godane {{KIA
{{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Omar Iman Abubakar*
{{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Hassan Turki {{KIA
{{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Mohamed Hayle*
{{flagicon image, Flag of Jihad.svg Mukhtar Abu Ali Aisha*
{{flagicon image, Flag of al-Qaeda.svg

Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan ) (4 April 1979, Mombasa, Kenya – 14 September 2009, near Baraawe, Somalia) was the leader of al-Qaeda in Somalia. He was listed on the FBI's third major "wanted" list, the FBI Seeking Information – War on Terrorism list, for his associati ...

{{KIA
{{flagicon image, Flag of al-Qaeda.svg

Fazul Mohammed Fazul Abdullah Mohammed ( ar, فاضل عبدالله محمد) (25 August 1972 – 8 June 2011, also known as Fadil Harun) was a Comorian-Kenyan member of al-Qaeda, and the leader of its presence in East Africa. Mohammed was born in Moron ...

{{KIA ---- Garaad Mohamed*
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Islamic Courts Union.svg Indho Ade*
Mohamed Garfanji* , commander3 = , strength1 = {{flagicon, United States 500 personnel in Somalia
{{flagicon, South Africa Unknown , strength2 = , strength3 = , casualties1 = {{Flagu, United States
2 killed in action, 6 wounded
35 non-combat fatalities ( see below) {{flagicon, North Korea 3 wounded , casualties2 = Islamic insurgents:
1,230–1,367 militants killed in Somalia
*555+ killed (2017-18) *10 killed (2019)
(American operations only) Pirates:
More than 1,200 captured , casualties3 = 22–37 civilians killed"The Bureau of Investigative Journalism"
Somalia Datasheet. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
(American operations only) , notes = Dis: Disbanded
*: Former commanders , campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Operation Enduring Freedom Horn of Africa {{Campaignbox Piracy in Somalia {{Campaignbox Horn of Africa Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) is a component of

(OEF).{{cite web, last=Rozoff, first=Rick, title=AFRICOM's First War: U.S. Directs Large-Scale Offensive in Somalia, url=http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24996.htm, publisher=Information Clearing House, access-date=9 September 2013, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131115103546/http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24996.htm, archive-date=15 November 2013, url-status=dead The Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) is the primary (but not sole) military component assigned to accomplish the objectives of the mission. The naval components are the multinational

Combined Task Force 150 Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is a multinational coalition naval task force working under the 34-nation coalition of Combined Maritime Forces and is based in Bahrain established to monitor, board, inspect, and stop suspect shipping to pu ...

(CTF-150) and

Combined Task Force 151 Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) is a multinational naval task force, set up in 2009 as a response to piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia. Its mission is to disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea and to enga ...

(CTF-151) which operates under the direction of the

United States Fifth Fleet The Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It has been responsible for naval forces in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean since 1995 after a 48-year hiatus. It shares a commander and h ...

. Both of these organizations have been historically part of

United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Ta ...

. In February 2007,

United States President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

George W. Bush announced the establishment of the

United States Africa Command The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, U.S. AFRICOM, and AFRICOM), is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U ...

which took over all of the area of operations of CJTF-HOA in October 2008.{{cite news, title=DoD Establishing U.S. Africa Command, url=http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?id=2940, publisher=

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

, date=6 February 2007, access-date=6 February 2007{{cite news , title= Africans Fear Hidden U.S. Agenda in New Approach to Africom , url= http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,430564,00.html , agency= Associated Press , date= 30 September 2008 , access-date= 30 September 2008 , publisher= Fox News , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130402051847/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,430564,00.html , archive-date= 2 April 2013 , url-status= dead CJTF-HOA consists of about 2,000 servicemen and women from the United States military and allied countries. The official

area of responsibility Area of responsibility (AOR) is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan (UCP), that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and co ...

comprises Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Seychelles and Kenya. Outside this Combined Joint Operating Area, the CJTF-HOA has operations in Mauritius, Comoros, Liberia, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. The American contribution to the operation, aside from advisers, supplies, and other forms of non-combat support, consists mainly of drone strikes targeted at Al-Shabaab. Other American combat operations include manned airstrikes, cruise missile strikes, and special forces raids.

Operations

Interception of missiles from North Korea

On 9 December 2002 the {{ship, Spanish frigate, Navarra intercepted the unflagged freighter ''So San'' several hundred miles southeast of Yemen at the request of the United States government. The frigate fired across ''So San''{{'s bow after the freighter ignored hails and attempted to evade the frigate. The freighter's crew was North Korean; 23 containers containing 15 complete

Scud A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second and Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name attached to the m ...

ballistic missiles, 15 high-explosive warheads, and 23

nitric acid Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available ni ...

(used as an oxidizer for fueling Scud missiles) containers were found on board. Yemen claimed ownership of the shipment and protested the interception and U.S. officials released the vessel after receiving assurances that the missiles would not be transferred to a third party.

Anti-piracy operations

{{further, Combined Task Force 150, Combined Task Force 151, Operation Ocean Shield, Operation Atalanta

are rampant along the coast of Somalia and present a hazard to all shipping there; as such, anti-piracy operations are a routine part of Operation Enduring Freedom: Horn of Africa. This is done primarily by the

, the

, Operation Atalanta, Operation Copper and in parallel to other independent anti-piracy operations conducted off the coast of Somalia by other countries such as China, India and Russia.

2005

{{more citations needed section, date=January 2019 The

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, m ...

cutter {{USCGC, Munro, WHEC-724, 6, working with the British aircraft carrier {{HMS, Invincible, R05, 6 and destroyer {{HMS, Nottingham, D91, 6 in the

, intercepted a hijacked vessel at around noon on 17 March. The interception was ordered after Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (COMUSNAVCENT) received telephone reports from the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

, Malaysia, concerning the hijacking of the Thai-flagged fishing boat ''Sirichai Nava 12'' by three Somalis on the evening of 16 March, as well as a fax indicating that the hijackers demanded U.S. $800,000 in ransom for the vessel's crew. Commander, Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 tasked ''Invincible'', ''Nottingham'' and ''Munro'' to investigate the situation. A

Visit, Board, Search and Seizure Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by United States military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics. VBSS teams are designed to capture enemy vessels, combat terrorism, piracy, and smuggl ...

(VBSS) team from ''Munro'' boarded ''Sirichai Nava'', while a boarding team from ''Nottingham'' went on to a second fishing vessel, ''Ekhwat Patana'', which was with the Thai vessel. ''Munro''{{'s boarding team detained the Somalis without incident. One of the crew members of the Thai vessel had a minor flesh wound, which was treated by the ''Munro'' boarding team. The Coast Guardsmen also discovered four automatic weapons in the pilothouse, expended ammunition shells on the deck of the vessel, as well as ammunition on the detained suspects. The three suspects were transferred to ''Munro''.

2006

On 21 January 2006, {{USS, Winston S. Churchill, DDG-81, 6, an {{sclass, Arleigh Burke, destroyer, 2, captured a vessel operating off the Somali coast whose crew were suspected of piracy. On 18 March 2006, {{USS, Cape St. George, CG-71, 6, a {{sclass, Ticonderoga, cruiser, 2 and {{USS, Gonzalez, DDG-66, 6, an ''Arleigh Burke''-class destroyer, engaged pirate vessels after receiving fire from them.{{cite web, title=U.S. Navy Ships Return Fire on Suspected Pirates, date=18 March 2006, publisher=

American Forces Press Service DoD News Channel was a television channel broadcasting military news and information for the 2.6 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces. It was widely available in the United States as a standalone television channel, or as part of programming o ...

, url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=15128 12 (including 5 wounded) pirates were captured. The U.S. government chose not to prosecute the captured men for piracy and repatriated them over a period of several months.

2007

On 3 June 2007, {{USS, Carter Hall, LSD-50, 6, a

landing ship dock A dock landing ship (also called landing ship, dock or LSD) is an amphibious warfare ship with a well dock to transport and launch landing craft and amphibious vehicles. Some ships with well decks, such as the Soviet Ivan Rogov class, also hav ...

, engaged pirates attacking a freighter, but failed to repel them. On 28 October 2007, the destroyer {{USS, Porter, DDG-78, 6, opened fire on pirates who had captured a freighter and with other vessels blockaded a port the pirates attempted to take refuge in.

2010

On 30 March 2010, the Seychelles Coast Guard patrol vessel ''Topaz'' rescued a captured vessel, saving 27 hostages near Somalia. On 28 November 2010 the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State

Jendayi Frazer Jendayi Elizabeth Frazer (born 1961) is the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, heading the Bureau of African Affairs. She was a Distinguished Service Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College and Departm ...

announced that the United States has no intention of committing troops to Somalia to root out al-Qaeda.{{Citation , url = http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2006/December/20061215170307MVyelwarC0.629574.html , title = US Does Not Plan to Send Troops Against Al-Qaida in Somalia , place = US , publisher = State Department , url-status = dead , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101128064104/http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2006/December/20061215170307MVyelwarC0.629574.html , archive-date = 28 November 2010.

2011

{{multiple image , align= right , width= 150 , image1=HelicopterFlyby.jpg , width1= , caption1=U.S. Marine unit preparing to land after training in air support and control techniques as part of the CJTF-HOA, the primary military component assigned to accomplish the objectives of the OEF-HOA. , image2=Members of the Djiboutian national police in training.jpg , width2=150 , caption2=Basic weapons and room clearing training at

Camp Lemonnier Camp Lemonnier is a United States Naval Expeditionary Base, situated next to Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti City, and home to the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) of the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICO ...

, home of the CJTF-HOA. On 20 January, a 14 Royal Malaysian Navy

PASKAL The Pasukan Khas Laut (''Naval Special Warfare Forces,'' Jawi: ), commonly abbreviated to PASKAL, is the principal special operations force of the Royal Malaysian Navy. PASKAL's task is to conduct small-unit maritime military operations that ...

assault teams engaging seven Somali pirates on board the Japanese-Malaysian chemical freighter MT ''Bunga Laurel'', about {{convert, 300, nmi east of Oman, near Gulf of Aden and

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channe ...

, resulting in 3 pirates wounded, 4 remaining pirates captured, and the freeing of 23 Filipino hostages after gunfighting aboard the vessel. In the early morning of 22 January, 15

ROKN The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ko, 대한민국 해군), also known as the ROK Navy or South Korean Navy, is the naval warfare service branch of the South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and amphibious operations. The ROK Navy in ...

UDT/SEAL members boarded the 11,000-ton chemical freighter {{ship, , Samho Jewelry which was taken by 13 pirates six days prior;{{cite web , url=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2931338, title=Navy storms hijacked ship, rescues all 21 sailors , access-date=5 December 2011 , date=21 January 2011 , publisher=Korea Joong Ang Daily killed 8 pirates and captured 5 without taking any casualties after three hours of intense firefighting. All 21 hostages were secured, with one hostage suffering a non-fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen. On 12 April, {{HDMS, Esbern Snare, L17, 6 intercepted a pirate vessel, capturing 34 pirates and freeing 34 hostages. Later that day, {{HNLMS, Tromp, F803, 6 opened fire on another pirate vessel, killing 2 pirates. A hijacked

dhow Dhow ( ar, داو, translit=dāwa; mr, script=Latn, dāw) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically spo ...

was hailed by {{USS, Bainbridge, DDG-96, 6 on 10 May, after which 7 pirates on board immediately surrendered. The ship's 15 crew members claimed they were hijacked six months prior and their ship was used as a mothership for the pirates. On 16 May, {{USS, Stephen W. Groves, FFG-29, 6 exchanged fire with ''Jih Chun Tsai 68'', a known pirate mothership. When a boarding team arrived, they found 3 pirates dead and captured 2 pirates.{{cite web , url=http://www.manw.nato.int/pdf/Press%20Releases%202011/Press%20releases%20Jan-June%202011/SNMG2/20%2005%2011GB%20PAO%20%20SWG%20ESSN%20BAIN%20round%20up%20v%202%2020%205%2011.pdf , title=Press Statement , publisher=NATO , date=18 May 2011 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327101817/http://www.manw.nato.int/pdf/Press%20Releases%202011/Press%20releases%20Jan-June%202011/SNMG2/20%2005%2011GB%20PAO%20%20SWG%20ESSN%20BAIN%20round%20up%20v%202%2020%205%2011.pdf , archive-date=27 March 2012 The Danish Navy vessel, HDMS ''Esbern Snare'' exchanged fire with a hijacked boat, killing 4 pirates on 17 May. A boarding team subsequently captured 24 injured pirates and freed 16 hostages. On 11 September, a Spanish Navy patrol boat engaged Somali pirates, freeing a French hostage after sinking the pirate skiff and capturing 7 pirates.{{cite news , url=https://af.reuters.com/article/somaliaNews/idAFL5E7KB0J620110911 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927215933/http://af.reuters.com/article/somaliaNews/idAFL5E7KB0J620110911 , url-status=dead , archive-date=27 September 2012 , title=French Hostage Rescued from Pirates after Gunfight , publisher=Reuters Africa , date=11 September 2011 The woman was taken hostage after pirates killed her husband and left her catamaran off the coast of Yemen. On 11 October,

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious warfare, amphibious light infantry and also one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighti ...

embarked on board {{ship, RFA, Fort Victoria, A387, 6 freed 23 crew members of a hijacked Italian cargo ship after it had been captured by pirates five days earlier. USS ''DeWert'' was the first vessel to arrive on scene after gathering intelligence on the whereabouts of the vessel and deploying counter intelligence surveillance units in the area. On 3 October, the Tanzania navy freed a hijacked vessel and apprehended seven pirates, They are handed over to civilian police for further action. On 31 October, the Kenyan military announced that they had captured two pirate skiffs, sunk three, and killed 18 pirates.

2012

Acting on intelligence from other counter-piracy forces, {{USS, Carney, DDG-64, 6 boarded the Indian-flagged dhow, ''Al Qashmi'' on 6 January. By the time the search team boarded, all evidence of potential piracy had been disposed of, though the crew said they were hijacked by the nine pirates on board from a different vessel. The nine suspected pirates were disarmed and given sufficient fuel and provisions to return to Somalia.{{cite web , url=http://www.manw.nato.int/pdf/Press%20Releases%202012/Ocean%20Shield/OOS%202012%2001.pdf , title=NATO Task Force Neutralizes Two Pirate Mother Ships , publisher=NATO , date=8 January 2012 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825205916/http://www.manw.nato.int/pdf/Press%20Releases%202012/Ocean%20Shield/OOS%202012%2001.pdf , archive-date=25 August 2012 The next day, the Danish warship {{HDMS, Absalon, L16, 6 intercepted an Iranian-flagged dhow after identifying it as a potential pirate mother ship. Warning shots had to be fired before a search team boarded. In addition to the crew of 5 Iranian and 9 Pakistani nationals, the team seized 25 pirates. The captured pirates were then taken aboard ''Absalon'' to determine whether they should be prosecuted. A third pirate vessel was intercepted on 13 January. RFA ''Fort Victoria'' fired off warning shots to stop the vessel and then launched a boarding party. The pirates surrendered without incident and search uncovered several

rocket-propelled grenade A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads a ...

s and automatic weapons. Royal Marines held the pirates for further investigation. HDMS ''Absalon'' had been observing a pirate mother ship for several days when it attempted to leave the coast of Somalia on 28 February.{{cite news , url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17195162 , title=Denmark Piracy Raid off Somalia Leaves Two Dead , publisher=BBC , date=28 February 2012 Danish forces fired on the ship, forcing it to stop. On board were 17 pirates and 18 hostages, though two of the hostages later died from wounds sustained. NATO said that an investigation would be held regarding the hostages' deaths.

2013

On 11 October, pirates attacked Hong Kong registered tanker ''Island Splendor'' and attacked a Spanish fishing vessel three days later. Suspected to have been carried out by the same group of pirates, they were tracked down by RFA ''Fort Victoria'', supported by {{HMAS, Melbourne, FFG 05, 6, {{Ship, ROKS, Wang Geon, DDH-978, 6, European Union flagship {{HNLMS, Johan de Witt, L801, 6, and a Seychelles-based maritime patrol aircraft from Luxembourg. The pirate skiffs were tracked by ''Melbourne''{{'s Seahawk helicopter, a boarding team from ''Melbourne'' searched the skiffs, they successfully apprehended nine pirates and later destroyed two skiffs and their equipment. By December 2013, the US

Office of Naval Intelligence The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is the military intelligence agency of the United States Navy. Established in 1882 primarily to advance the Navy's modernization efforts, it is the oldest member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and serve ...

reported that only nine vessels had been attacked during the year by the pirates, with no successful hijackings.{{cite news, last=Yanofsky, first=David, title=Somali piracy was reduced to zero this year, url=http://qz.com/161704/somali-piracy-was-reduced-to-zero-this-year/, access-date=14 January 2014, newspaper=Quartz, date=27 December 2013

Control Risks Control Risks is a global risk and strategic consulting firm specializing in political, security and integrity risk. History Control Risks was formed in 1975, as a professional adviser to the insurance industry. A subsidiary of insurance broker ...

attributed this 90% decline in pirate activity from the corresponding period in 2012 to the adoption of best management practices by vessel owners and crews, armed private security onboard ships, a significant naval presence, and the development of onshore security forces.{{cite news, title=Somali piracy is down 90 per cent from last year, url=http://www.thejournal.ie/piracy-somalia-down-on-last-year-1219326-Dec2013/, access-date=14 January 2014, newspaper=The Journal, date=15 December 2013

2016

In 2016 the {{USS, San Antonio, {{USS, Mason, DDG-87, 6, {{USS, Nitze, and USS Ponce came under attack as they moved through the Bab al-Mandeb strait on the southern end of the Red Sea during support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Horn of Africa. Shortly after the attacks, the USS ''Nitze'' destroyed three radar sites in Yemen in retaliation for the two separate attacks on U.S. ships in the Red Sea.

Escalating tensions in Somalia

{{main , Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism ''The New York Times'' declared the US backing of a Somali Warlord Alliance a failed policy.Efforts by C.I.A. Fail in Somalia, Officials Charge
New York Times A ''Reuters'' report cited that the plan had backfired and destabilized the nation.

Ethiopian invasion and occupation of Somalia

{{main, Somalia War (2006–2009) On 1 July 2006, a web-posted message purportedly written by

Osama bin Laden Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (10 March 1957 – 2 May 2011) was a Saudi-born extremist militant who founded al-Qaeda and served as its leader from 1988 until his death in 2011. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, his group is designated ...

urged Somalis to build an Islamic state in the country and warned western states that his

network would fight against them if they intervened there. On 27 December 2006, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reported analysts in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...

, Kenya claimed U.S. surveillance aircraft were funneling information to Ethiopian forces. Major Kelley Thibode, a spokeswoman for the task force of American military personnel based in Djibouti, said she was "not at liberty to discuss" the matter.{{Citation , date = 27 December 2006 , url = https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/world/africa/27somalia.html?hp&ex=1167195600&en=10a88a3be0393151&ei=5094 , title = Islamists in Somalia Retreat From Ethiopia-Backed Forces , newspaper = The New York Times , first=Jeffrey , last=Gettleman, Somali Prime Minister

Ali Mohammed Ghedi Ali Mohammed Gedi ( so, Cali Maxamed Geeddi, ar, علي محمد جيدي) (born 2 October 1952), popularly known as Ali Gedi, was the Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia from 2004 to 2007. He was relatively un ...

declared one of the key objectives of the offensive on

Kismayo Kismayo ( so, Kismaayo, Maay: ''Kismanyy'', ar, كيسمايو, ; it, Chisimaio) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) province of Somalia. It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region. The city is situat ...

was the capture of three alleged al-Qaeda members, suspects wanted for the

1998 United States embassy bombings The 1998 United States embassy bombings were attacks that occurred on August 7, 1998. More than 200 people were killed in nearly simultaneous truck bomb explosions in two East African cities, one at the United States Embassy in Dar es Salaam ...

in East Africa:

Fazul Abdullah Mohammed Fazul Abdullah Mohammed ( ar, فاضل عبدالله محمد) (25 August 1972 – 8 June 2011, also known as Fadil Harun) was a Comorian-Kenyan member of al-Qaeda, and the leader of its presence in East Africa. Mohammed was born in Moron ...

and

Abu Taha al-Sudani Abu Talha al-Sudani (also Abu Taha al-Sudan or Tariq Abdullah), born in Sudan, was a suspected member of Al Qaeda terrorist organization, an explosives expert and a close aide Osama bin Laden. He is believed to have traveled to Southern Lebanon a ...

. At the time, the

's maritime task force (

{{cite news , title = Navy tries to block fleeing jihadists from Somalia , work =

Air Force Times ''Air Force Times'' is a newspaper published 26 times per year to provide active, reserve and retired United States Air Force and Air National Guard personnel and their families with news, information, analysis, community and lifestyle features, e ...

, date = 3 January 2007 , url = http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2458956.php , access-date =4 January 2007) based out of Bahrain, was patrolling off the Somali coast to prevent terrorists launching an "attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material," said Commander Kevin Aandahl.{{cite news, title= Thousands Flee Somalia Fighting , agency = Associated Press , date = 31 December 2006 , url = http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/157834.php?contentType=4&contentId=268733 , access-date =4 January 2007 {{dead link, date=January 2017, bot=medic{{cbignore, bot=medic The announcement did not say what particular ships comprised the cordon, but the task force includes vessels from Canada, France, Germany, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the U.S. American ships of Combined Task Force 150 include the ''Arleigh Burke''-class destroyer {{USS, Ramage, DDG-61, 6 and the ''Ticonderoga''-class cruiser {{USS, Bunker Hill, CG-52, 6.{{cite news, title=Ramage, Bunker Hill keeping an eye on Somalia , publisher=MarineTimes.com , date=4 January 2007 , url=http://www.marinetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2461109.php , access-date=4 January 2007 {{dead link, date=January 2017 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes The aim of the patrols shifted on 2 January 2007, according to diplomats, to "... stop SICC leaders or foreign militant supporters escaping". On 2 January 2006, U.S. Marines operating out of

Lamu Lamu or Lamu Town is a small town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya. Situated by road northeast of Mombasa that ends at Mokowe Jetty, from where the sea channel has to be crossed to reach Lamu Island ...

, Kenya, were said to be assisting Kenyan forces patrolling the border with Somalia with the interception of Islamists.Kibaki meets Somalia president as tension at border persists
{{webarchive , url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104052712/http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143963283 , date=4 January 2007 ''The Standard'' On 8 January it was reported that an

AC-130 The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of ground-attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, naviga ...

gunship belonging to the

United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

had attacked suspected al-Qaeda operatives in southern Somalia. It was also reported that the aircraft carrier {{USS, Dwight D. Eisenhower, CVN-69, 6 had been moved into striking distance.{{cite news , title = U.S. targets al Qaeda suspects in Somalia, Pentagon official says , publisher = CNN , date = 8 January 2007 , url = http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/01/08/somalia.strike/index.html , access-date =8 January 2007 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070110085125/http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/01/08/somalia.strike/index.html , archive-date = 10 January 2007 The aircraft flew out of its base in Djibouti. Many bodies were spotted on the ground, but the identity of the dead or wounded was not yet established. The targeted leaders were tracked by the use of

unmanned aerial vehicles An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controlle ...

(UAVs) as they headed south from Mogadishu starting on 28 December. It was reported that the leader of al-Qaeda in East Africa,

, was killed in the attack, but later officials confirmed that he survived and also that none of the al-Qaeda operatives were killed. However, at least 10 civilians were killed. On 9 January it was reported U.S. special forces and

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

operatives were working with Ethiopian troops on the ground in operations inside Somalia from a base in

Galkayo Galkayo ( so, Gaalkacyo, ar, جالكعيو Dr Badal Kariye Ba Bsit Ma Mba & Phd, ''The Kaleidoscopic Lover: The Civil War in the Horn of Africa & My Itinerary for a Peaceful Lover'', (AuthorHouse: 2010), p.116.) which in Af-Somali translates to ...

, in

Puntland Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...

, and from

, Djibouti.{{citation needed, date=December 2020 On 12 January, a small team of U.S. forces investigated the site of the U.S. gunship attack to search for information about the identity and fate of the targeted individuals.{{cite news, title=U.S. troops seek airstrike dead in Somalia , url=http://www.dailyindia.com/show/102623.php/US-troops-seek-airstrike-dead-in-Somalia , publisher=United Press International , date=12 January 2007 , access-date=12 January 2007 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927202039/http://www.dailyindia.com/show/102623.php/US-troops-seek-airstrike-dead-in-Somalia , archive-date=27 September 2007 On 17 January 2006, the Assistant Deputy Secretary of Defense for African affairs, Theresa Whelan, clarified the airstrike conducted on 8 January was not the work of the CJTF-HOA, but of another force which she did not specify. The target of the strike was confirmed to be

Aden Hashi Farah Ayro Aden Hashi Farah Aero ( so, Aaden Xaashi Faarax Ceyroow, ar, عدن هاشي فرح) (died 1 May 2008) was the military commander of the Al-Shabaab (militant group), Al Shabaab. He was from the Cayr, Ayr sub-clan, part of the Habar Gidir, which ...

, who was believed wounded or possibly dead, while eight members of his group were killed in the attack.{{cite news, title=U.S. raid may have hit top Somali militant: Pentagon , url=http://www.alaskareport.com/reu77361.htm , date=17 January 2006 , agency=Reuters , access-date=17 January 2006 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928031050/http://www.alaskareport.com/reu77361.htm , archive-date=28 September 2007 Likewise, many airstrikes which resulted in civilian casualties around

Afmadow Afmadow ( so, Afmadoow) is a city in southern Somalia, located in the middle of the Juba region and bordered by Kenya, Badhadhe, Kismayo, Jamame, Jilib, Hagar, Bardhere and Elwaq in Somalia, 401 km southwest of the capital Mogadishu. It is ...

conducted by Ethiopian aircraft were mis-attributed to the United States. On 21 January the capture of U.S. troops was reported by the Qaadisiya.com site, as well as the death of one due to

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. ...

, but this assertion was denied as "utterly bogus" by

Michael Ranneberger Michael Edward Ranneberger (born 1949) is a former United States Ambassador to Kenya. Early life Ranneberger attended Archbishop Curley High School, a Roman Catholic private school in Baltimore, Maryland. After graduating, he obtained a B.A. ...

, U.S. Envoy to Kenya and Somalia.{{cite news , title = U.S. has ground troops in southern Somalia: Journalist , url = http://www.garoweonline.com/stories/publish/article_7183.shtml , date = 21 January 2007 , publisher =

Garowe Online Garowe Online is an independent bilingual news website founded in 2004 and is owned by Garowe News Group, which also owns Radio Garowe. The organisation is based in Garowe, the capital of Puntland State of Somalia. In 2011, ''Garowe Online'' w ...

, access-date = 28 February 2007 {{dead link, date=July 2021, bot=medic{{cbignore, bot=medic On 24 January, the U.S. admitted to have made a second airstrike, but did not confirm the exact date or location of the strike.{{cite news , title = Military Official Reports Second US Air Strike in Somalia , url = http://voanews.com/english/2007-01-24-voa67.cfm , publisher =

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the State media, state-owned news network and International broadcasting, international radio broadcaster of the United States, United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international br ...

, date = 24 January 2007 , access-date =6 February 2007 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070215044053/http://voanews.com/english/2007-01-24-voa67.cfm , archive-date = 15 February 2007 United States involvement in the conflict continued through 2008 with airstrikes targeting suspected Al Qaeda affiliated militants including a strike of dubious success conducted on 2 March 2008 where at least one U.S. naval vessel launched cruise missiles against an Al Qaeda target in a strike on the village of Dobley and a successful strike on

Dhusamareb Dusmareb ( so, Dhuusamareeb, ar, سمريب, it, Dusa Mareb) is the capital of Galmudug state in central Somalia. The city also serves as the administrative capital of the Galguduud province. Historically, the city was known as Daar Dheer or sim ...

which killed several militant leaders

Alleged operations in Somaliland

On 6 May 2005, a

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...

unit reportedly landed in

Somaliland Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...

, the autonomous and self-declared state in northern Somalia. The landings were purportedly conducted to carry out searches, as well as to question locals regarding the whereabouts of terrorist suspects. United States military officials denied the allegations and said operations were not being conducted in Somaliland.

Somali Civil War (2009–present)

{{main, Somali Civil War (2009–present) Operations against al-Qaeda linked terrorists continued in 2009 when on 14 September several U.S. Navy helicopters launched a raid in Baraawe against

, killing him as well as five other militants. Also in 2009, Operators from the SAS and the SRR were deployed to Djibouti as part of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa to conducting operations against Islamist terrorists in Somalia; carrying out missions focusing on surveillance and targeting of terrorists, alongside their US counterparts, they have also been carrying out this role in Yemen. On 25 January 2012, two

U.S. Navy SEAL The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting s ...

teams raided a compound {{convert, 12, mi, km north of Adow, Somalia, freeing two hostages while killing nine pirates and capturing five others. On 5 October 2013, American commandos from DEVGRU launched an amphibious raid on the town of Baraawe engaging with al-Shabaab militants and inflicting some casualties on them before withdrawing. On 5 March 2016, U.S. airstrikes carried out by aircraft and unmanned drones killed more than 150 Al-Shabaab terrorists at a

terrorist training camp A terrorist training camp is a facility established to train individuals in the ways of terrorism. By teaching them the methods and tactics of terrorism, those conducting such facilities aim to create an "army" of individuals who will do their ...

called "Camp Raso", located about 120 miles north of Mogadishu as they were completing "training for a large-scale attack" according to a Pentagon spokesman. The camp had been under surveillance for some time before the strike. In the early hours of 9 March 2016, U.S. special forces and Somali national army special forces killed between 1 and 15 Al-Shabaab terrorists in a heliborne-attack on the Al-Shabaab-controlled town of Awdhegele, as well as capturing an undisclosed number of high-value Al-Shabaab figures the militants were training for a major operation against coalition forces. On 11/12 April 2016, two U.S. airstrikes on Al-Shabaab targets in the town of Kismayo killed about a dozen suspected militants who posed an "imminent threat" to American troops in the country. As of May 2016, roughly 50 U.S. special operations troops operate at undisclosed locations across southern Somalia, with their headquarters at the airport in Mogadishu; advising and assisting, Kenyan, Somali and Ugandan forces in their fight against Al-Shabaab. Also in that month, U.S. personnel helped those forces plan an operation against illegal checkpoints. On 13 May, a U.S. strike targeted nine al-Shabab militants, three of them were allegedly killed. On 1 June 2016, the Pentagon announced that it had conducted an airstrike that killed a senior Al-Shabaab leader in Somalia on 27 May. On 3 August 2016, a contingent of elite American troops acting as military advisers assisted Somali commandos in an assault on an al-Shabaab checkpoint in

Saakow Saakow is a town in southern Somalia and is located in the Middle Juba (Jubbada Dhexe) region of Somalia. It lies between Bu'ale, Dinsoor and Bardera. See also * History of Somalia *Jubaland Jubaland ( so, Jubbaland, ar, , it, Oltregiu ...

, as the Somali-led force approached the checkpoint the militants opened fire, a gun battle ensued that resulted in 3 militants killed. On 29 September 2016, the ''Military Times'' reported that on 26 September a bomb-manufacturing network linked al-Shabaab attacked a small team of U.S. and Somali troops, who were conducting an operation near Kismayo, with small-arms fire. A Pentagon spokesman said the U.S. military "conducted a self-defense strike to neutralize the threat and in doing so killed nine enemy fighters." Also on 28 September, near the town of

, a Somali army unit conducting counterterrorism operations nearby, when the Somali soldiers came under fire from al-Shabab militants. The Somali soldiers engaged them, then broke contact and rejoined with their nearby American advisers and soon afterwards the militants "began to maneuver in an offensive manner" so the U.S. conducted a self-defense airstrike, killing 4 militants.

Drone attacks

{{See also, American military intervention in Somalia (2007–present) * On 25 June 2011, U.S.

Predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill t ...

drones attacked a Shabaab training camp south of Kismayo.

Ibrahim al-Afghani Ibrahim al-Afghani, also known as Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee'aad, was a prominent member of Somalia's Al-Shabaab, an insurgent group fighting Somalia's Transitional Federal Government. Afghani formerly held positions as the first deputy leader of Al- ...

, a senior al Shabaab leader was rumored to be killed in the strike. * On 6 September 2011, a U.S. drone struck a large Al-Shabaab base, killing 35 militants.{{citation needed, date=July 2021 * A drone strike on 17 September killed 17 militants.{{citation needed, date=July 2021 * A U.S. drone strike occurred near Mogadishu on 21 January 2012, killing British al-Qaeda operative Bilal el-Berjawi. * 4 Al-Shabaab fighters, including a white Kenyan and a Moroccan jihadist named Abu Ibrahim, were killed in a drone strike in the K60 area (60 miles south of Mogadishu) of the Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia late on 24 February 2012.

United States military fatalities

27 U.S. servicemen have been killed in non-hostile incidents in Djibouti since the start of operations in the Horn of Africa. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in accidents in Kenya. Two U.S. soldiers were killed in a vehicle accident in Ethiopia. Two U.S. servicemen were killed in the Republic of Seychelles and in the Gulf of Oman, respectively.{{cite web, url=http://www.icasualties.org/OEF/Fatalities.aspx , title=Operation Enduring Freedom, Fatalities , publisher=iCasualties , date=19 September 2011 , access-date=19 September 2011 (Note: apply filter for ''Country of Death'' accordingly)

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa / Djibouti
Global Security.

Global Security.

Global Security.
Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa
Official U.S. Military web site

US And UK Navies Resolve Hi-Jacking {{War in Somalia (2006–09) {{War in Somalia (2009–) {{War on Terrorism {{Pirates {{DEFAULTSORT:Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn Of Africa Somali Civil War Piracy in Somalia Counterterrorism in the United States Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa War on terror Horn of Africa United States Marine Corps in the 21st century Anti-piracy Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa