Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

USSOM246

Incident date

September 3, 2019

Location

Near Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

Airwars assessment

The United States carried out a second airstrike near Jilib on September 3rd 2019, this time against an “al-Shabaab associated vehicle”, and with no known casualties.

Details were revealed by AFRICOM in an email exchange with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism on October 4th 2019: “Separately, AFRICOM conducted an air strike targeting al-Shabaab equipment in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia on Sept. 3.

“At this time it is assessed that this airstrike struck one al-Shabaab associated vehicle. U.S. forces, in cooperation with the government of Somalia, are conducting ongoing counterterrorism operations to degrade the terrorist groups’ abilities to recruit, train, and plot terror attacks in Somalia and the region.”

No additional public details about this second event on September 3rd are presently known.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab

US Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US Forces

Email to Bureau of Investigative Journalism from AFRICOM, October 4th 2019:

U.S. Africa Command has conducted fifty-four (54) airstrikes in 2019 against ISIS-Somalia and al-Shabaab militants, fighting positions, infrastructure, and equipment – nine (9) against ISIS-Somalia and 45 against al-Shabaab.

In addition to the strikes you mentioned below, in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, AFRICOM conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab equipment near Ugungi, Lower Shabelle, Somalia on Sept. 24. At this time it is assessed this airstrike struck one al-Shabaab associated vehicle.

Separately, AFRICOM conducted an air strike targeting al-Shabaab equipment in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia on Sept. 3. At this time it is assessed that this airstrike struck one al-Shabaab associated vehicle. U.S. forces, in cooperation with the government of Somalia, are conducting ongoing counterterrorism operations to degrade the terrorist groups’ abilities to recruit, train, and plot terror attacks in Somalia and the region.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab