Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

SOM019b

Incident date

June 23, 2014

Location

Kuday, Lower Juba, Somalia

Geolocation

-1.58059, 41.620049 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

At least eight civilians were killed and as many as eight were wounded when fighter jets attacked the Somali village of Kudah, 160 kilometres southwest of Kismayo, a woman who had fled the village following the attack told the Kenyan group Journalists for Justice.

According to the NGO: “Kudah, June 23, 2014. An elderly woman who had fled from Kudah, 160 kilometres southwest of Kismayo, following an air strike and is now an IDP near Kismayo recalled an attack by fighter jets on the village which destroyed two homes, five (5) donkeys, killed eight (8) civilians and wounded eight (8) others. Many people in the village fled into the bush following the strike and most of the wounded died of their injuries for lack of medical care, she said.”

An AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) press release on June 23rd took responsibility for a strike on Kuday, noting that “AMISOM forces have conducted airstrikes in Anole and Kuday in the Lower Jubba region as part of a sustained effort to destroy Al Shabaab’s military capabilities… In Kuday, the airstrike killed more than 50 insurgents. AMISOM continues to up the pressure on al Shabaab with a view to liberating more areas in forthcoming operations.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention that the strike took place in Kudah or Kuday, 160 kilometres southwest of Kismayo, for which the coordinates are: -1.58059, 41.620049. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • Civilians reported injured
    8
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Known belligerent
    Amisom Military Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    50

Sources (3) [ collapse]

Amisom Military Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    Amisom Military Forces
  • Amisom Military Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Single source claim
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    8
  • Civilians reported injured
    8
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Weak
    Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
  • Known belligerent
    Amisom Military Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    50

Sources (3) [ collapse]