Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

USSOM386

Incident date

May 26, 2023

Location

Vicinity of ATMIS forward operating base, Bulo Marer, 75 miles south-west of Mogadishu, South-eastern Somalia, Somalia

Airwars assessment

On the 26th of May, 2023, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against Al-Shabaab fighters in the vicinity of an ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission in Somalia) forward operating base in Bulo Marer, 75 miles southwest of Mogadishu, Somalia. To date, there have been no reports of civilian harm with regard to the airstrike, while a local source reported that “many” Al-Shabaab members were killed.

United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) released a statement on the strike on the 27th May 2023, claiming that the strike had “destroyed weapons and equipment unlawfully taken by Shabaab fighters” and added that “the command’s initial assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed”. AFRICOM also stated that the strike had been carried out “in support of the Federal Government of Somalia”.

Arab News reported, on the 28th of May, that local residents and a Somali commander had spoken to AFP, claiming that “Al-Shabaab militants drove a car laden with explosives into the (ATMIS) base, prompting a gunfight”.

On the 28th of May, a reporter for Garowe Online added further details and context, stating that the Al-Shabaab fighters had “initiated dawn attacks mainly targeting the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF)” who were serving as part of a peace-keeping mission.

A report from ‘Antiwar.com’ stated that the assault had started with suicide car bombings, adding that Al-Shabaab had “claimed that it had killed 137 soldiers in the attack”. However, ‘Antiwar.com’ noted that this claim was unconfirmed.

A report written by Somalia News (@SomaliaNews252), dated the 27th of May, stated that U.S. airstrikes had “destroyed vehicles” taken by Al-Shabaab as they retreated from Bulo Marer. On the 30th of May, ATMIS Somalia posted an online statement via X/Twitter that ATMIS and SNA (Somalia National Armed Forces) troops had “successfully pursued the fleeing Al-Shabaab terrorists” and claimed that “many” terrorists had been killed.

Voice of America journalist, Harun Maruf, reported that the President of Uganda, Katuga Museveni, had made comments on the Al-Shabaab attack: “@KatugaMuseveni says about 800 al-Shabaab fighters were involved in the attack; admitted that Al-Shabaab overran the base”.

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 attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    5–10

Sources (12) [ collapse]

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

In support of the Federal Government of Somalia and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia operations against al Shabaab, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike against militants in the vicinity of the ATMIS forward operating base, FOB Bulo Marer on May 26.

The strike destroyed weapons and equipment unlawfully taken by al Shabaab fighters.

The command’s initial assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed.

U.S. Africa Command takes great measures to prevent civilian casualties. Protecting civilians remains a vital part of the command’s operations to promote a more secure and stable Africa.

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 attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    5–10

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USSOM385

Incident date

May 20, 2023

Location

Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

Geolocation

0.493790, 42.776410 Note: The accuracy of this location is to City level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

One senior al-Shabaab militant was injured by declared US AFRICOM airstrikes on Jilib, Somalia on May 20, 2023.

Somali National News Agency’s Twitter account @SONNALIVE first announced that “In a joint operation with international allies, the armed forces launched an airstrike on #Jilib city, the headquarters of #AlShabab terrorists. The enemy suffered losses in terms of casualties and destroyed equipment.”

The next day, AFRICOM announced that “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, AFRICOM conducted an airstrike against the al-Shabaab militant network in Somalia on May 20, 2023. The strike occurred in Jilib, Somalia. Following a comprehensive battle damage assessment USAFRICOM assesses that one al-Shabaab fighter was injured as a result of the operation. The command’s assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed.”

Former al-Shabaab official Omar Mohamed Abu Ayan told Voice of America that Al-Shabaab’s head of external operations Osman Mohamed Abdi, known as Moallim Osman, was the target of the operation and appears to have survived the strike with an injury.

Somalia’s Ministry of Information said in a statement that the target Moallim oversaw bringing foreign fighters to Somalia to join al-Shabaab. Another Somali official said that he was involved in planning the al-Shabaab attack in January 2016 against an African Union military base manned by Kenyan forces in El Adde, which is the hometown of Moallim, as well as supervising al-Shabaab attacks on Kenya and their incursion into Ethiopia in 2022.

Garowe Online reported on May 26th that according to multiple sources, Moallim was in “critical and unconscious” condition, had suffered “major injuries” and that his condition was “deteriorating on an hourly basis”.

@HarunMaruf gave context that the strike occurred while the Director of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency was visiting Washington and New York, meeting with the Pentagon, FBI and CIA Officials.

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 attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the city of Jilib, for which the generic coordinates are: 0.493790, 42.776410. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, AFRICOM conducted an airstrike against the al-Shabaab militant network in Somalia on May 20, 2023.

The strike occurred in Jilib, Somalia.

*Following a comprehensive battle damage assessment USAFRICOM assesses that one al-Shabaab fighter was injured as a result of the operation. The command’s assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed.

U.S. Africa Command takes great measures to prevent civilian casualties. Protecting innocent civilians remains a vital part of the command’s operations to promote a more secure and stable Africa.

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 attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported injured
    1

Sources (12) [ collapse]

Incident Code

USSOM384

Incident date

May 13, 2023

Location

Ali Fuuto, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

Geolocation

1.545015, 44.042082 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

44 al-Shabaab militants were killed during operations carried out by Somalia government forces and international partners in the Ali Fuuto area in Lower Shabelle on May 13, 2023.

Voice of America quoted Somalia’s deputy information minister, Abdirahman Al-Adala, who said that the intelligence unit, with the support of international partners, killed 44 al-Shabab militants in the Ali Fuuto area while they were regrouping in the area at the time. Various Twitter accounts quoted this information without offering additional details.

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.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Somali Military Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    44

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Ali Fuuto, for which the generic coordinates are: 1.545015, 44.042082. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

US Forces Assessment:

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

Somali Military Forces Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    Somali Military Forces
  • Somali Military Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Contested strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Ground operation
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons
  • Suspected attackers
    US Forces, Somali Military Forces
  • Suspected target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    44

Sources (6) [ collapse]

Incident Code

CS1992

Incident date

May 3, 2023

Location

قورقانيا, Qurqaniya, Idlib, Syria

Geolocation

36.133082, 36.623254 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (other) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

A 60 year old male civilian was killed by a declared US drone strike on the outskirts of Qurqaniya just before noon on May 3, 2023. At the time of the strike, US Central Command released a statement that they had targeted a senior Al Qaeda leader without any additional details. On May 2, 2024, the US military admitted that “a civilian, Mr. Lufti Hasan Masto (Masto), was struck and killed instead.”

The Syrian Civil Defense (@SyriaCivilDefe) tweeted that a civilian named Lutfi Hassan Masto (Abu Hassan), age 60, was killed by an unidentified drone while grazing sheep on the outskirts of Qurqaniya. The drone strike also resulted in the death of sheep.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) released a statement on May 3rd that “at 1142am local Syrian time on 3 May, US Central Command forces conducted a unilateral strike in Northwest Syria targeting a senior Al Qaeda leader. We will provide more information as operation details become available.”

However, the information provided by CENTCOM has been disputed by local sources. A tweet from Syrian journalist @pressrahhal stated that while “US Central Command claimed targeting a leader it said was prominent in the “Al-Qaeda” organization…the target is the martyr uncle “Lutfi Hassan Masto” at the age of 60, and he is a civilian who has no connection with any organization, neither now nor previously.”

Xeber24 News was the only source that referred to “the leader of one of the terrorist organizations” as being killed in the drone strike but did not clarify if it was the same person as the elderly man killed. However, multiple terrorism experts that spoke with the Washington Post pointed out that “it would be very unusual for al-Qaeda — particularly a senior leader — to operate in any meaningful way near the area, which is controlled by a rival group (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) that split from the organization years ago and now considers al-Qaeda an adversary.” Other terrorist analysts pointed out that there were no announcements or celebrations of martyrdom among any terrorist organizations. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a militant group that controls Idlib province, told The Post the victim was a civilian.

A Washington Post investigation into the victim identified him as “a father of 10 tending to his sheep when he was slain by an American missile” and “a former bricklayer who lived quietly in this town in northwest Syria” according to interviews with his brother, son and six others who knew him. Those that knew him described a kind, hard-working man whose “whole life was spent poor.”

Multiple local sources referred to the location of the strike as being on a poultry farm, specifically in the vicinity of “Abu Khalouf poultry farm.”

Aramme News attributed the strike to a MQ9 reconnaissance aircraft.

On May 9th, AP quoted Maj. John Moore, a CENTCOM spokesperson, who said Tuesday that U.S. forces “are in the process of confirming the identity of the individual killed in the strike….We are aware of the allegations of a civilian casualty and the outcome of the confirmation process will inform if further investigation is necessary and how it should proceed.” On May 18th, the Washington Post quoted two U.S. defense officials, one who said “We are no longer confident we killed a senior AQ official,” while the other official said  “though we believe the strike did not kill the original target, we believe the person to be al-Qaeda.”

The victim’s brother, Mohamed Masto, told AP that reports that his brother was involved in al-Qaida were “absolute lies” and that his killing was “an injustice and an aggression…He had nothing to do with the revolution. … He had nothing to do with the Al-Nusra Front or with the Islamic State” or any of the other armed groups involved in Syria’s 12-year-old uprising-turned-civil-war, Masto said.

A neighbor named Fayad Jamil Raji told AP he had known Lufti Masto — or “Abu Hassan,” a nickname meaning “father of Hassan” — for many years. “The man was a civilian. He had a farm with poultry, cows and sheep,” he said.

According to the Washington Post, on the day of the strike, his son Hassan said that Masto had gathered with his family about 7:30 a.m that morning. “We had breakfast that morning like there was nothing wrong. We had breakfast and everything was fine, and then he went to herd his sheep,” the son recalled. Masto then took a break after a few hours outside near his home to have tea with his brother, and they parted ways around 11:30 a.m., and he returned to his animals as they grazed. An MQ-9 Predator drone soared overhead and struck him close to where he had just had tea with his brother 20 minutes ago. Neighbors pointed out that aircraft had been surveilling the area for nearly two weeks.

In a civilian casualty assessment released on November 30th 2023, the US-led Coalition has indicated that the credibility of this civilian harm allegation is in the process of being assessed.

On May 2, 2024, the CENTCOM released the findings of their investigation that “the investigation determined U.S. forces misidentified the intended Al Qaeda target and that a civilian, Mr. Lufti Hasan Masto (Masto), was struck and killed instead. Many of the facts and other findings of the investigation involve classified information and cannot be shared publicly. What we can share is the investigation concluded the strike was conducted in compliance with the law of armed conflict as well as Department of Defense and CENTCOM policies. However, the investigation revealed several issues that could be improved. We are committed to learning from this incident and improving our targeting processes to mitigate potential civilian harm.”

The incident occured at 11:42:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Lutfi Hassan Masto لطفي حسن مسطو
60 years old male killed

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (32) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (12) [ collapse]

  • Remnants of the missile from a US drone that killed a civilian in Qurqaniya, Syria on May 3, 2023. (Image posted by @anasanas84)
  • Sheep killed by a US drone that also killed a civilian in Qurqaniya, Syria on May 3, 2023. (Image posted by @anasanas84)
  • Remnants of the missile from a US drone that killed a civilian in Qurqaniya, Syria on May 3, 2023. (Image posted by @anasanas84)
  • Remnants of the missile from a US drone that killed a civilian in Qurqaniya, Syria on May 3, 2023. (Image posted by @anasanas84)
  • A raid by the armed coalition warplanes targeted a poultry farm near the town of Qorqanya, north of Idlib
  • White Helmet volunteers at the site of a declared US drone strike that killed a civilian in Qurqaniya, Syria on May 3, 2023. (Image posted by @SyriaCivilDefe)

  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    The civilian "Lutfi Hassan Masto" (60 years old) was killed by a missile strike from a drone that targeted him while he was working in herding sheep on the outskirts of the town of "Qorqanya", north of Idlib.
  • Image of Lutfi Hassan Masto, age 60, killed by a declared US drone strike in Qurqaniya, Syria on May 3, 2023. (Image posted by @khaleedalkhteb)
  • Mohammed Hassan Masto sits next to the grave of his brother Lutfi, who was killed on Wednesday, May 3, in a U.S. military strike, in the village of Qorqanya, a rural area in northern Idlib province, Syria, Sunday, May 7, 2023. Maj. John Moore, a CENTCOM spokesperson, said Tuesday, May 9, that U.S. forces are investigating reports that they killed a civilian in the recent strike in northwest Syria that meant to target a senior al-Qaida leader. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
  • An undated image of Lotfi Hassan Misto, who was killed on May 3 by a U.S. drone strike in Syria. (Courtesy of the Misto family)
  • Location of strike: Satellite image © 2023 Maxar Technologies via Google Earth

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention the town of Qurqaniya (قورقانيا). Reporting from the Washington Post places the strike at the following exact coordinates: 36.133082, 36.623254.

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US Forces Assessment:

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

Civilian casualty statements

US Forces
  • May 2, 2024
  • Nov 30, 2023

  • May 03, 2023, near Qurqanya, Syria, via White Helmets report. 3334/CS1992/37S BA 86128 01283

  • May 2, 2024 Release Number 20240502-01 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TAMPA, Fla. – On May 3, 2023, the United States conducted a unilateral counterterrorism air strike in Northwest Syria targeting a senior Al Qaeda leader. Soon after the air strike, reports surfaced the strike may have resulted in a civilian casualty. Following initial reviews by subordinate elements, General Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), directed Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF - OIR) to conduct a joint investigation on 6 June 2023 in accordance with Army Regulation 15- 6. The investigation, which concluded on November 15, 2023, was conducted by Investigating Officer, Brigadier General John P. Cogbill, U.S. Army, and supported by a team of ten senior service members and civilian employees not directly involved with the strike with extensive subject matter expertise in intelligence, law of armed conflict, operations, and targeting matters. The investigative team received both cognitive bias training and red team training. The team conducted site visits in the United States, Iraq, and Jordan, and interviewed more than forty witnesses. The investigative team also sought information from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The team reviewed classified and unclassified information held by DoD and other federal agencies. The investigation determined U.S. forces misidentified the intended Al Qaeda target and that a civilian, Mr. Lufti Hasan Masto (Masto), was struck and killed instead. Many of the facts and other findings of the investigation involve classified information and cannot be shared publicly. What we can share is the investigation concluded the strike was conducted in compliance with the law of armed conflict as well as Department of Defense and CENTCOM policies. However, the investigation revealed several issues that could be improved. We are committed to learning from this incident and improving our targeting processes to mitigate potential civilian harm. U.S. Central Command acknowledges and regrets the civilian harm that resulted from the airstrike. We take all reports of civilian harm caused by U.S. military operations seriously and continue to employ thorough and deliberate targeting and strike processes to minimize civilian harm. This process includes a thorough review and vetting of lawful targets prior to a strike and another review after each strike. CENTCOM is fully engaged in implementing the objectives in the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP) and the DoD Instruction (DoDI) 3000.17, titled “Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response.”

Original strike reports

US Forces
Official source

At 1142am local Syrian time on 3 May, US Central Command forces conducted a unilateral strike in Northwest Syria targeting a senior Al Qaeda leader. We will provide more information as operation details become available.
"This operation reaffirms CENTCOM's steadfast commitment to the region and the enduring defeat of ISIS and Al Qaeda," said General Michael "Erik" Krill, CENTCOM Commander.

Media
from belligerent (1) [ collapse]

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike, Drone Strike
  • Civilian infrastructure
    Agriculture
  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    1
  • (1 man)
  • Cause of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Confirmed
    A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
  • Known attacker
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al Qaeda
  • Belligerents reported killed
    0–1

Sources (32) [ collapse]