Somalia’s Defense Ministry has said that Turkish F-16 fighter jets were used in airstrikes on Al-Shabaab targets in the Lower Shabelle region, one of the clearest public acknowledgments yet that Turkish warplanes are taking part in combat operations in Somalia, according to Somali media.
The ministry said Somali forces, working with the Turkish Armed Forces, struck sites in the Godey area on Tuesday, adding that the targets included caves, weapons storage areas and hideouts used by Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group designated as a terrorist organization by Somalia, Turkey and Western countries.
In a statement issued on June 30, the ministry said the operation killed around 35 Al-Shabaab militants and seriously injured more than 20 others. The casualty figures could not be independently verified.
The statement adds to earlier reports that Turkey has deployed F-16s to Somalia. Turkish officials told Agence France-Presse in January that the aircraft had been sent to the country and would be operated by Turkish military personnel stationed there, not by Somali pilots.
Turkey opened its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu in 2017 and has since then become one of Somalia’s closest security partners, providing military training, equipment and economic support to the federal government.
Somalia’s defense minister said in February that Turkish F-16s had been deployed to support Somali army operations against militants.
The aircraft were later seen flying over Mogadishu, and the defense intelligence company Janes reported that three Turkish F-16s took part in an April 12 flyby marking the anniversary of the Somali National Armed Forces.
Turkey’s role in Somalia has grown beyond military training in recent years. Ankara has expanded cooperation with Mogadishu in energy, maritime security and infrastructure as it seeks a larger role in the Horn of Africa.
Al-Shabaab has fought Somalia’s federal government for years and has carried out repeated attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of the country.
The Somali Defense Ministry thanked international partners for their support and said operations against Al-Shabaab leaders and fighters would continue.