US Forces in Somalia

Library image of an armed Reaper drone, December 2019 (US Air Force/ Senior Sergeant Haley Stevens)

Belligerent
US Forces
Country
Somalia
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Confirmed
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Strike Status
Strike Type
Infrastructure

Incident date

January 1, 2021

Incident Code

USSOM326-C

LOCATION

حرمك, Kunya Barrow, Middle Juba, Somalia

Two civilians were initially reported wounded in two US airstrikes on Kunya Barrow, local reports claimed. AFRICOM later confirmed that three civilians were in fact injured in the attack. Radio Al Furqaan, the Al Shabaab-affiliated radio station bombed in the incident, said at the time: “On Friday afternoon, January 1, 2021, US warplanes bombed the

Summary

First published
January 1, 2021
Last updated
March 14, 2022
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Civilians reported injured
3
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Confirmed
A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Belligerents reported injured
1
View Incident

Incident date

February 17, 2020

Incident Code

USSOM278-C

LOCATION

Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

Two civilians, including a child, were reportedly injured in a US airstrike on Jilib. AFRICOM later admitted that the strike led to civilian harm. Somali Memo, a news site close to Al Shabaab, wrote: “Reports from Jilib district say that a drone crashed into a civilian residence yesterday, killing no one but injuring two civilians,

Summary

First published
February 17, 2020
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Civilians reported injured
2
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Confirmed
A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
View Incident

Incident date

February 2, 2020

Incident Code

USSOM274-C

LOCATION

Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

US Africa Command declared on the same day that it had conducted an airstrike “in the vicinity of Jilib” which it said had killed “one (1) terrorist.” However local reports said that one young woman was killed and two or three other women injured in the event in Jilib town, which AFRICOM later acknowledged. According

Summary

First published
February 2, 2020
Last updated
March 14, 2022
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 child)
Civilians reported injured
3
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Confirmed
A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Named victims
4 named, 1 familiy identified
Belligerents reported killed
1
View Incident

Incident date

February 23, 2019

Incident Code

USSOM195-C

LOCATION

حرمك, Kunya Barrow, Middle Juba, Somalia

A father and young child were reported killed in a US airstrike on the al Shabaab-occupied town of Kunyo Barrow. AFRICOM later admitted the deaths of two civilians along with three injuries in the event in its first quarterly civilian harm report of April 2020. US Africa Command first reported on February 24th 2019 that

Summary

First published
February 23, 2019
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
2
(1 child1 man)
Civilians reported injured
3
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Confirmed
A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Named victims
2 named, 1 familiy identified
Belligerents reported killed
2
View Incident

Incident date

April 1, 2018

Incident Code

USSOM123-C

LOCATION

Ceel Buur, Mudug, Somalia

Up to four civilians, including one child and one woman, were killed along with up to five al Shabaab fighters as a US airstrike struck El Burr, Galmudug, international media reported. Following a year of denials, US Africa Command admitted in April 2019 that civilians had in fact died in the event – and that

Summary

First published
April 1, 2018
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
2 – 4
(1 child1 woman2 men)
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Confirmed
A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Named victims
4 named
Belligerents reported killed
2–5
View Incident