U.S. airstrikes decrease by 54% under Biden; majority were in Afghanistan before the withdrawal

U.S. military airstrikes have fallen by 54% under President Biden compared to the previous administration, according to a new report.

The total number of U.S. declared strikes across active conflict zones fell from 951 in 2020 to 439 in 2021, said researchers from Airwars, a group that tracks military actions worldwide.

“This is by far the lowest declared annual US strike number since at least 2004 and reflects a broader trend of declining US actions in recent years,” said the group’s report published Wednesday.

The majority of this year’s strikes, 372, were carried out in Afghanistan before the U.S. withdrawal in August, a 44% decrease from 660 in the last year under President Donald Trump.

Just 58 strikes were carried out across Iraq and Syria in 2021 compared to 201 last year, a 71% reduction.

Strikes also fell significantly in Somalia. President Biden carried out just 9 strikes in the theater in 2021 compared to 72 the prior year, an 88% decrease.

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Airwars noted that the reduction in airstrikes in 2021 builds on a trend that began in 2020.

“The biggest take-home is that Biden has significantly decreased U.S. military action across the globe,” the report said.