Civilian Casualties

Southern Somalia, Bay, Somalia

LOCATION

On November 17th 2017, US Africa Command sent the Bureau of Investigative Journalism a list of previously unreported strikes, which included this one. No casualties were reported. An AFRICOM spokesperson explained that their goal “is to be as transparent as possible while taking into account operational security, force protection and diplomatic sensitivities.” It therefore did

Summary

Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)

LOCATION

Galcayo, Mudug, Somalia

A suspected al Shabaab associate who once lived in the US was arrested during a mission in Somalia, a US Africa Command spokesperson told AP. It was a Somali-led mission with “limited tactical advisory support” from the US, spokesperson Jennifer Dyrcz said. The suspect, identified as Abdirizak Tahlil, was accused of “facilitating the use of improvised

Summary

US Forces, Somali Military Forces

Al-Shabaab

جبل المراقشه, Jabal Al Maraqisha, Abyan, Yemen

LOCATION

Multiple sources reported that US airstrikes, or possibly US naval strikes, targeted alleged AQAP militants in the Al Maraqisha area of Abyan governorate, late on July 23rd 2017. Other sources reported similar strikes in the area the previous night, though did not assign responsibility to the US. There were no known reports of civilian harm.

Summary

Airstrike, Drone Strike, Naval bombardment

Tortoroow, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

On November 17th, US Africa Command sent the Bureau of Investigative Journalism a list of previously unreported strikes, which included this one. No casualties were reported. An AFRICOM spokesperson explained that their goal “is to be as transparent as possible while taking into account operational security, force protection and diplomatic sensitivities.” It therefore did not

Summary

Gaduud, Lower Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

On November 17th 2017, US Africa Command sent the Bureau of Investigative Journalism a list of previously unreported strikes, which included this one. An AFRICOM spokesperson explained that their goal “is to be as transparent as possible while taking into account operational security, force protection and diplomatic sensitivities.” It therefore did not proactively release information

US and Somali special forces carried out a night raid on an al Shabaab-held village in southern Somalia, the district commissioner and a senior Somali intelligence official told reporters. It was the second US operation in the village in two weeks. “Several al-Shabaab fighters” are thought to have been killed according to NBC. Two helicopters

Summary

Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)

US Forces, Somali Military Forces

Al-Shabaab

عزان, Azzan, Shabwa, Yemen

LOCATION

According to several sources, a US drone strike targeted alleged AQAP militants in or near Azzan, in Shabwa governorate, overnight from July 9th-10th 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. Multiple sources reported that an unnamed AQAP leader was killed in the strike, which some suggested targeted a car, killing all inside.

Summary

الصبار, الوضيع, Al Sabbar, Al Wade'a District, Abyan, Yemen

LOCATION

US drone strikes targeted AQAP sites in the Sabar area of Wadea district in Abyan province, late on July 9th 2017, a Yemeni military official told Xinhua. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. According to Xinhua, “Overnight airstrikes launched by a U.S. drone hit a number of al-Qaida-held sites in Yemen’s turbulent

Summary

Luglaaw, Lower Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

US forces were involved in a “self-defence strike operation” with Somali National Army (SNA) forces “against an al Shabaab troop concentration” in the country’s south, according to an Africa Command (AFRICOM) press release. The statement did not include a casualty count, saying it “will continue to assess the results of the operation, and will provide

Summary

Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)

10–13

حرمك, Kunya Barrow, Middle Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

A US airstrike in the Lower Shabelle region targeting al Shabaab insurgents killed one member of the terror group, according to AFRICOM. The victim may have been the leader of the group’s intelligence wing, Andullahi Haji Daud. There are currently no known associated reports of civilian harm. The strike hit in the south of the

Summary

O'wdhiile, 55 miles south of Mogadishu, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

An airstrike reportedly killed up to two civilians in O’wdhille, a village about 55 miles south of Mogadishu, according to findings from a field investigation by The Nation. Reporter Amanda Sperber detailed the account of Osman [not his real name] whose relatives were reportedly killed in the strike: “Around 5 pm in early July 2017, Osman

Summary

Civilians reported injured

(2 men)

وادي الملح أو بيرالشطحة ,الوضيع, Bir Al Shahata or Wadi Al Malh, Al Wade'a, Abyan, Yemen

LOCATION

In an email to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, US Central Command stated that a strike took place against an AQAP “target” on July 1st 2017 in Abyan governorate. This confirmed earlier reports that at least one US drone strike targeted at least two alleged AQAP militants in the Wadea district of Abyan governorate, on

Summary

2–3

LOCATION

مريب, Ma'rib, Yemen

A 2017 US counterterrorism operation in Yemen killed Ibrahim al Asiri, a “senior al-Qa’ida bomb maker and terrorist coordinator”, US President Donald Trump announced on October 10th 2019. This statement confirmed several 2018 reports that al Asiri had likely been killed in a US drone strike in Marib governorate during the second half of 2017.

Summary

3–5

LOCATION

Southern Yemen, Yemen

A US drone strike killed two suspected AQAP militants in southern Yemen late on June 30th 2017, residents and local sources told Reuters. No other known sources reported a strike at that time, and there were no associated reports of civilian harm. According to Reuters, “Another suspected U.S. drone strike killed two men believed to

Summary

جسر السلام, Al Salam Bridge, Shabwa, Yemen

LOCATION

On June 20th 2017, US Central Command announced that US forces had carried out an airstrike that had targeted and killed three AQAP militants in Shabwa governorate on June 16th 2017. This confirmed earlier reports that a US drone strike killed three alleged militants driving in Al Naqba, in the Habban district of Shabwa governorate,

Summary

Bohol Jawarey, Middle Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

A US strike on an al Shabaab “command and logistics node” killed eight members of the group, according to a US Africa Command press release. There were claims that Abdirahman Mohamed Warsame, a commander of the terror group’s intelligence wing was killed in the strike, though this was not confirmed by AFRICOM. No civilians were

Summary

Welmarow, Lower Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

AFRICOM denied conducting any recent airstrikes in Somalia, a VOA journalist reported – following recent claims of US activities in the Lower Juba region. According to SomNews, US forces had conducted a helicopter assault on the village of Welmarow on the evening of June 3rd: “Helicopters thought to be from United States military have launched

Summary

البديع, Al Buday, Al Bayda, Yemen

LOCATION

US airstrikes reportedly targeted alleged AQAP militants in the Badi Al Awad district of Bayda governorate at around 3am on May 23rd 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. Several sources, including Yemeni security officials spoken with by the Associated Press, suggested that actions by US drones and helicopter gunships took place

Summary

Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground), Drone Strike

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons

0–2

النجاد العذلان, Al Nijad Al Adhlan, Ma'rib, Yemen

LOCATION

Up to five civilians, including a fifteen-year-old boy and man over the age of 70, were reportedly killed in a US special forces ground operation in Al Khthala village, in the Al Jubah area of Marib governorate, beginning at around 1am on May 23rd 2017, though official US accounts of the raid claimed that there

Summary

Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground), Drone Strike

Civilians reported injured

2 – 12

(1 child4–11 men)

2–10

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons

11 named, 1 familiy identified

Named victims

4–9

2–10

صحن الجن, Sahn Al Jin, Ma'rib, Yemen

LOCATION

Multiple local language sources reported that US airstrikes targeted alleged AQAP militants with “phosphorous bombs” near Sahn Al Jin, in Marib governorate, on May 8th 2017. Though most sources assigned responsibility to the US, two social media sources instead asserted that Saudi Arabian forces were responsible, leading Airwars to assess this event as Contested. There

Summary

Airstrike and/or Artillery

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Incendiary

US Forces, Saudi-led Coalition

12–24

12–24

دار السلام, Andalus Radio, Darusalaam, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

In the first confirmed US kinetic operation since President Trump designated Somalia an active war zone in March 2017, one US Navy serviceman was killed and two or three others injured during an operation against al Shabaab in Somalia on May 5th (local time), the first declared American service member death in combat in the

Summary

Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons

4–9

2–3

الجيف, Al Jayf, Ma'rib, Yemen

LOCATION

In an email to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, US Central Command stated that a strike had targeted four “AQAP terrorists” in Marib governorate on April 29th 2017. This confirmed reports that a US drone strike had killed at least two alleged AQAP militants in Al Jayf area, Al Jubah district of Marib governorate, early

Summary

(2 men)

2 named, 1 familiy identified

Named victims

1–5

المدارة, Al Madara, Abyan, Yemen

LOCATION

A US drone strike reportedly targeted alleged AQAP militants near Al Madara village, in the Mudiyah district of Abyan governorate, late on April 30th 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. Multiple social-media sources, including @WeenAlEnfigar and @BaFana3, reported that US drones were seen flying in the area at the time, and

Summary

تمورة ,شرق الغرير, Tamoura, east of Ghurair, Shabwa, Yemen

LOCATION

In an email to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, US Central Command confirmed that a strike had targeted three “AQAP terrorists” in Shabwa on April 29th. This confirmed earlier reports that a US drone strike had killed at least two alleged AQAP militants travelling in a Vitara car in the Tamoura area, in the Al

Summary

1–4

الضلعه, Al Dhula'ah, Shabwa, Yemen

LOCATION

On April 24th 2017, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis stated that a US strike had killed eight AQAP militants in Shabwa governorate on the previous day, confirming earlier reports that an afternoon US drone strike in Al Dhula’ah, in the Al Said area, had killed eight people. Several sources reported, however, that at least three

Summary

3 – 8

(3–8 men)

8 named, 3 families identified

Named victims

3–8

الطريق بين الحوطة و عزان, Road between Al Hawtah and Azzan, Shabwa, Yemen

LOCATION

A US drone strike reportedly killed at least two alleged AQAP militants travelling in the Hotat al-Faqih Ali area of Mayfa’a district in Shabwa governorate, late on April 18th 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. Though most local language social media sources and other media, such as Sahafahnet, reported that two

Summary

2–5

عطران, Atran, Ma'rib, Yemen

LOCATION

Some reports suggested that a US drone strike killed four alleged AQAP militants in Atran area, Marib governorate, overnight from April 18th to April 19th 2017. There were no known reports of civilian harm. On April 24th 2017, Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis stated that an April 18th strike had killed three al-Qaida militants in

Summary