Geolocation
Airwars assessment
20 alleged al-Shabaab militants were killed by a Somali forces and “international partner” airstrike in Hiraan region on February 22, 2023.
Asharq Al-Awsat quoted Somali state television which announced that 20 al-Shabaab militants traveling in a vehicle were killed in airstrikes carried out by Somali intelligence forces in cooperation with international allied forces.
There were no other details available as to who was involved in the airstrike and the resulting casualties.
While no sources directly implicated the US in the operation, the Somali government’s reference to “international partners” has in the past indicated US involvement but could also refer to Turkish involvement.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the administrative region of Hiraan, for which the generic coordinates are: 4.208662, 45.472188. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.