Library image of an armed Reaper drone, December 2019 (US Air Force/ Senior Sergeant Haley Stevens)
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
AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab militants in the early morning hours of Jan. 2, 2018, approximately 50 kilometers west of the capital [Mogadishu]”. It added: “We assess no civilians were killed in this strike.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike killed “two terrorists” and destroyed “one vehicle-borne improvised
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
The US military declared carrying out an airstrike targeting al Shabaab militants in Jilib, according to a press release issued on the same day by US Africa Command. According to the statement, “At this time, it is assessed the airstrike killed one (1) militant. Currently, we assess no civilians were injured or killed as a result
In an incident not originally declared publicly, AFRICOM officials later confirmed to Airwars that they had conducted a strike against al Shabaab in the lower Shabelle – for which they did not report either any militant or any civilian harm. Public Affairs Current Operations Branch Chief, Desiree Frame, told Airwars by email dated October 4th
The US military reported on the same day that it had carried out an airstrike in the vicinity of Jilib against al Shabaab fighters. It was not clear which of two locally reported targets – or indeed both – were struck. Unusually, AFRICOM made no mention of the number of militant fighters it believed had
Both US Africa Command and the Somali government declared on the same day two airstrikes in the vicinity of Kunya Barrow. There were no known local claims of associated civilian harm. According to the AFRICOM press release, “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two (2) airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab terrorists
One Al Shabaab member was allegedly killed in a US strike on Haway. The Horn Observer wrote: “A separate airstrike in Haway neighbourhood in Lower Shabelle region targeted another camp where the militant had gathered on Monday. Local sources and Mogadishu-based intel officers have told Horn Observer that Mustaf Ato, the special adviser of al-Shabaab’s
A single source alleged a US drone strike on Hantidawaag which AFRICOM later denied. Halgan Media wrote: “US drones just bombed the village of Hantiwadaag in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle province and struck a vehicle carrying a group of Al Shabaab fighters – Sources.” AFRICOM responded to a request from Airwars: “U.S. Africa Command’s last strikes
Between five and 70 alleged al-Shabaab militants were killed by declared US airstrikes and/or Somali government ground actions near Bacadweyne in the Mudug of central Galmudug state on February 15, 2023. AFRICOM released a statement on February 16th that “At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia and in support of Somali National Army
In a news feature looking at drone strikes in Somalia, Somalia Report stated that on this day, “another [US] attack occurred in Taabta village in the Afmadow District of Lower Juba.” The report indicated that the target was al Shabaab. “AFRICOM does have terrorism in its list of applications and as of June JSOC’s hunter killers
At least four and up to 23 al Shabaab fighters were reported killed in a US airstrike at Buufow, near Janaaale. However more than three years later, one civilian fatality was also alleged. Two US actions on April 1st and April 2nd were later said to be “self-defence air strikes against al Shabaab fighters who
On September 5th 2017, AFRICOM reported that it had conducted a precision airstrike in “central Somalia” against al-Shabaab militants that same day at approximately 9:50am local Somalia time. The release made no mention of civilian harm. However, AFRICOM asserted that the strike had killed “three (3) terrorists”. The action, it said, had hit in the
AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted an airstrike against Al-Shabaab militants near Jilib, Somalia, the afternoon of April 5”. It added: “We assess no civilians were killed in this airstrike.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike killed “three (3) terrorists” and destroyed “one (1) vehicle with a mounted heavy machine gun.” In a
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
A Mareeg Media report from March 16th 2019 asserted that US-backed Somali forces had carried out an “air and ground operation” near Marka Town in Jilib Marka, 91km southwest of Mogadishu. Citing anonymous Somali military officials, Mareeg said that “at least” 22 “militants” were killed in the operation, including ‘senior al Shabaab commanders’ Abu Yasin
US air support was potentially involved in an operation to retake areas of the Lower Shabelle region which killed 15 al Shabaab fighters, Radio Shabelle reported. Colonel Mohamed Abdullahi Arale confirmed to state media that the Somali National Army had retaken Yaaqbari Weyne, MadaxMarodi and Lego villages. Colonel Arale reportedly said that his troops had
US Africa Command reported that the day previously, it had “conducted two airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Baqdaad, Somalia, on January 7, 2019.” AFRICOM stated that “At this time we assess no civilians were injured or killed in these airstrikes.” According to AFRICOM “four militants” were killed in the strikes. AFRICOM added
United States Africa Command declared its second airstrike of 2020, stating in a press release issued on the same day that it had killed two al Shabaab terrorists “in the vicinity of Qunyo Barrow.” SONNA, the official Somali agency, gave slightly more information on the action, stating that said the attack had taken place on
Several days after the events, US Africa Command press released that it had conducted five airstrikes in the vicinity of Janaale during March 16th-17th. Somali state media and government reported the same strikes but said they took place on March 15th-16th. AFRICOM said the actions were in support of ground operations by Somalia forces, while noting
Several militants were allegedly killed or injured by an Al Shabaab VBIED and subsequent exchange of gunfire near Janay Cabdalle. The New York Times reported: “Three Somali military officers were killed and two others injured along with an American service member in a bombing in southern Somalia on Monday, the authorities said, the latest example
At least 200 Al Shabab militants were killed by an alleged joint operation between US drone strikes and Somali forces carried out in Hareri Gubadle, near Wabho Township in Galgaduud region. The date of the operation is unknown but was reported on March 13, 2022. The East African reported that the Somali government announced that
Between five and 100 militants were killed and several others were injured by declared US airstrikes and Somali ground operations near Hareeri Kalle in July 19, 2023. AFRICOM released a statement that “At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted a collective self-defense airstrike in a remote area near Hareeri
Two US strikes took place in Somalia on November 12th, with one targeting al Shabaab and the other hitting Islamic State, according to US Africa Command. The strikes killed “several” fighters, it said. The first strike against al Shabaab is recorded in a separate event. The second attack was carried out at approximately 0900 local
US forces carried out a strike against al Shabaab in an area around 50 kilometres north of Kismayo, a US Africa Command spokesperson later told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Post-strike analysis had not revealed the number of militants killed, a US spokesperson told the Bureau in an email exchange on July 31st. The event
AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted two (2) airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab militants near Jilib, Middle Juba Region, Somalia, on January 23, 2019.” It also asserted that “at this time we assess no civilians were injured or killed in these airstrikes.” AFRICOM gave no figures on the number of belligerents killed. Associated Press
The US military carried out a “precision airstrike” targeting an ISIS-Somalia encampment in the Golis Mountains, according to a press release issued the following day by US Africa Command. AFRICOM said it had assessed that the strke killed four members of ISIS-Somalia and that no civilians were harmed. “At this time, it is assessed the
An airstrike near Jilib killed one al Shabaab fighter, according to US Africa Command. There were no known reports of civilian harm, an official press statement asserted. “At this time, it is assessed the airstrike killed one (1) terrorist. Strikes near Jilib disrupt al-Shabaab’s freedom of maneuver. Currently, we assess no civilians were injured or killed
According to Voice of America correspondent Harun Maruf, two airstrikes by an unknown party struck al Shabaab targets in southern Somalia. According to Maruf’s initial tweet, “A strike in Jamame area reportedly hit a graduation ceremony of new recruits for Jaysh Ayman, the Al-Shabaab unit that operates in Kenya.” The other strike allegedly targeted Buaale.
One Al Shabaab fighter was allegedly killed and two more injured by a US airstrike near Jilib. AFRICOM confirmed conducting the strike two days later, one of a pair that day: “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two (2) airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab terrorists and a compound in the vicinity