Library image of an armed Reaper drone, December 2019 (US Air Force/ Senior Sergeant Haley Stevens)
AFRICOM publicly reported four strikes on the same area on the same day – asserting that it had killed 34 al Shabaab militants in total in the vicinity of Gandarshe. Another two strikes took place on December 16th, it said – killing another 28 militants. “All six airstrikes were conducted in close coordination with the
One civilian was reportedly killed and another injured in a confirmed US airstrike in Baladul Rahma near Basra, Somalia according to a field investigation by Amnesty International – though US Africa Command continues to deny that any civilians were harmed. In a press release from AFRICOM issued at the time, it had said it carried
Four al Shabaab fighters were reported killed as the US carried out what it said was a self-defence strike in the vicinity of Awdheegle, Lower Shabelle, after US and partner forces came under attack, US Africa Command said in a statement. Associated Press gave a detailed report on the event: “Somali commandos backed by U.S.
AFRICOM reported that the previous day, it had “conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab militants near Lebede, Somalia on November 30, 2018”. It said that there had been no civilian harm. However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike had killed “nine (9) militants”. Voice of America reporter Harun Maruf provided a more detailed location. “Statement says strike
AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Quy Cad near Debatscile, Somalia on November 27, 2018”. It added: “We currently assess this airstrike did not injure or kill any civilians.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike had “killed three (3) militants”. It added “This follows
A strike was said to have killed 15 members of al Shabaab and injured another 30, according to the official Somali National News Agency (SONNA). It was not clear whether US forces carried out the strike from the reporting, but US Africa Command said US forces had not carried out a strike on that day.
AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted two (2) airstrikes in the vicinity of Haradere, Somalia on November 21, 2018.” It added: “We currently assess these airstrikes did not injure or kill any civilians.” This assessment details the strike on the arms cache. Associated Press offered more detail on the attacks: “Somali intelligence
AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted two (2) airstrikes in the vicinity of Haradere, Somalia on November 21, 2018.” It added: “We currently assess these airstrikes did not injure or kill any civilians.” However, AFRICOM claimed that “the first airstrike killed six (6) al-Shabaab militants and the second airstrike destroyed a weapons cache.”
AFRICOM reported the following day that it had “conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Quy Cad, Somalia on November 20, 2018.” It added: “We currently assess this airstrike did not injure or kill any civilians.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike “killed seven (7) militants”. In a subsequent FOIA response obtained by
On November 20th 2019, AFRICOM reported that it had “conducted two (2) airstrikes in the vicinity of Debatscile, Somalia targeting al-Shabaab militants on November 19, 2018”. These are recorded as separate events, with the other that day near Quy Cad. AFRICOM asserted: “We currently assess these airstrikes did not injure or kill any civilians.” It
AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted two (2) airstrikes in the vicinity of Debatscile, Somalia targeting al-Shabaab militants on November 19, 2018”. This entry records the first of of these events. AFRICOM asserted that “We currently assess these airstrikes did not injure or kill any civilians.” It also claimed that “the first
Airstrikes by an unknown party destroyed part of an al-Andalus radio station in Jilib – a propaganda service run by the terror group al Shabaab. At least one person described as a journalist was reported injured or killed. According to Middle East Monitor, “An air strike; believed to be American, has destroyed the Al-Andalus radio
Responding to allegations that it had conducted a November 18th airstrike on a radio station in Jilib, AFRICOM informed local media via Twitter that “it has not conducted an airstrike in Somalia since Nov. 3.” There were no publicly reported strikes on this date, and Airwars has reached out to AFRICOM for clarification. U.S. Africa
AFRICOM publicly reported that it had “conducted conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow, Somalia, on October 25, 2018”. It added: “We also currently assess this airstrike did not injure or kill any civilians.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike “killed two (2) militants and destroyed one (1) vehicle.” Voice
In an alleged civilian harm event previously unrecorded by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a declassified AFRICOM report obtained in Spring 2019 identified a claimed event near Kismayo in October 2018. According to Casimada, “The strike against Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab group was conducted in Bulo-Haji area near the town, killing at least 3 children, a
Four al Shabaab fighters were killed as the US carried out a strike in Somalia in the vicinity of Araara, Lower Juba region, after partner forces came under attack from small arms fire, a US Africa Command press release stated. The press release called it a “collective self-defense airstrike.” No US service members were apparently
At least 60 and as many as 117 al Shabaab fighters were killed in a US strike on October 12th, it was reported. The location appears to have been a training camp, according to Voice of America, which noted: “A Somali official says the strike happened near the village of Jowle, about 20 kilometers southwest
AFRICOM reported that the day previously it had “conducted an airstrike targeting an al-Shabaab militant in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow, Somalia, on October 6, 2018.” It added: “We currently assess no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the action killed “(1) terrorist”. In a subsequent FOIA response obtained
One woman and several children were wounded by an alleged US drone strike in El Adde town, Gedo, as up to ten al Shabaab members were targeted and killed, local media reported. Somali media site Mareeg reported that a US drone strike had injured women and children. Anonymous sources said the victims had been been
According to a single source, an airstrike by an unknown party hit the strategic village of Basra in Middle Shebelle. Goobjoog News stated that “Reports indicate that Airstrikes hit last night at Basra village in the Middle Shabelle Somalia. Residents of Basra village told Goobjoog News there were heavy attacks in the village amid reports
US forces carried out a strike approximately 40 kilometres northeast of Kismayo after al Shabaab fighters attacked Somali forces, according to a US Africa Command press release. Nine al Shabaab fighters were allegedly killed and another injured, the US command claimed. The press release said AFRICOM had assessed that no civilians were killed or injured
US forces carried out a ‘self-defence strike’ against al Shabaab on September 21st approximately 50 km northwest of Kismayo and killing 18 al Shabaab members, according to a press release from US Africa Command. According to AFRICOM “The U.S. airstrike was conducted against militants after U.S. and partner forces came under attack. We currently assess
At least three children were killed as up to 12 al Shabaab members were targeted and killed by a night time airstrike, local and international media reported – though it was unclear who was behind the attack. Several senior al Shabaab officials were killed or wounded in an airstrike, Somalia intelligence officials reportedly said. The
In a US strike in Mubaraak, two al Shabaab militants were killed along with a combatant with US partner forces, a US statement asserted the following day. Members of al Shabaab and the partner forces were also left wounded. US forces carried out a strike during a Somali partner forces-led operation against al Shabaab in
US forces carried out a strike on August 27th killing three alleged members of al Shabaab, US Africa Command declared two days later, The strike hit approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu. The official statement read: “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab militants approximately 40 kilometers
US forces carried out a strike on August 21st, killing two al Shabaab fighters, according to a press release from US Africa Command. The strike hit approximately 46 kilometers northeast of Kismayo, a port city in southern Somalia. The Command said it had assessed that no civilians were killed or injured in this strike. US
An investigation by journalist Amanda Sperber identified a possible US airstrike near Basra around the time of Eid in August 2018, which allegedly killed between 10 and 12 members of the same family. Airwars has provided a relatively wide date range for this event, based on limited reporting. The investigation, published by The Nation in
In a major Amnesty International report on civilian harm in Somalia, published in March 2019, the NGO made passing reference to a civilian harm event on August 14th the previous year in the vicinity of Baladul-Rahma and Geeshaan, near Basraa. According to the report, “on 14 August 2018, the US military conducted additional air strikes
Local reporters alleged that US and Somali forces had killed four civilians including a mother and child, during an operation in Leego. Caasimada alleged that the civilians were killed around midnight, by Somali troops accompanied by ‘white US officers’, and claimed that the attacking forces had flown there from a military base to the north.
Three civilians were reportedly killed in a US strike in Gobanle village, according to Amnesty International – though US Africa Command claimed that only four “terrorists” were killed. However an AFRICOM declassified assessment of the event published in July 2019 indicated that the US itself was unaware of the identities of those in the vehicle