Today, Explained

Podbit · Today, Explained

Trump’s secret war

Explore episode Jul 6, 2026
News
America's forgotten war: 196 airstrikes and counting

Trump’s secret war · Jul 6, 2026 News

The US has conducted 196 airstrikes in Somalia since Trump's second term began, nearly matching his entire first-term total of 219. Two decades of continuous bombing have failed to defeat al-Shabaab, which now runs a parallel government inside Somalia's borders.

Where this was said

Somalia's Two-Decade Insurgency: The al-Shabaab Background

At 3:07 · chapter starts 2:15

The host introduces journalist Mohamed Gabobe, a freelance reporter based in Mogadishu who writes for The Guardian and Al Jazeera. Gabobe sketches out the conflict's architecture: al-Shabaab, formed in 2002 and prominent since 2006, has waged a two-decade insurgency across southern and central Somalia. The US has at least 500 soldiers in country, has trained and funded the elite Danab (Lightning Force) unit, and provides drone surveillance and airstrike support. The UN describes al-Shabaab as the greatest immediate threat to Somalia and East Africa. Despite all this, 196 airstrikes under Trump's second term have not dislodged the group, which now runs a parallel government inside Somalia's borders.

News
How the Danab force and US cooperation work

Trump’s secret war · Jul 6, 2026 News

The US has trained and funded a Somali special forces unit called the Danab, or Lightning Force. US troops provide surveillance drones and airstrike support to these Somali units, operating in a partnership that goes far deeper than the public debate acknowledges.

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