Library image of an armed Reaper drone, December 2019 (US Air Force/ Senior Sergeant Haley Stevens)
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
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
Eight Al Shabaab militants were allegedly killed by three US strikes near Mubaraak. The AFRICOM press release said: “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted three (3) airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab terrorists in the vicinity of Mubaraak, Somalia, Apr. 5. The command’s initial assessment concluded these airstrikes killed eight (8) terrorists.
Two civilians were allegedly wounded in two US airstrikes on Kunya Barrow. Radio Al Furqaan, the Al Shabaab-affiliated radio station bombed in the incident, said: “On Friday afternoon, January 1, 2021, US warplanes bombed the headquarters of Al-Furqan Islamic Radio in Kunya Barrow, Lower Shabelle region, destroying the station’s building and equipment. There were no
15 al-Shabaab militants were reportedly killed by Somali forces and “international partner” airstrikes or ground operations near Bulo Madina on November 24, 2022. Somali National Television posted on Twitter that 15 al-Shabaab militants were killed by an operation carried out by Somali security forces with the support of airstrikes from “international security partners” near Bulo
Two civilian women were killed and two children were injured by alleged Kenyan or United Arab Emirates or US airstrikes on Salagle in Middle Jubba on June 16, 2023. The Horn Observer reported that two civilians, a mother and her child, were killed and two other children sustained injuries from airstrikes on Salagle. A tweet
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
The US military reported on the same day that it had carried out an airstrike against al Shabaab in the vicinity of Saakow that killed one terrorist. “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab terrorists in the vicinity of Saakow, Somalia, on Dec. 9,” AFRICOM reported.
Two civilians including a named woman were reported injured by a US airstrike near Kunya Barrow. Halgan Media noted: “A pro militant mouthpiece dubbed Somali Memo claimed a mother of 5 children was wounded in the drone strike, when reigned down on there home overnight. According to Somali Memo, the victim has been identified as
Between one and two civilians were allegedly killed in a US and Somali forces raid or airstrike on Beerta Xassan Huutaan near Afgoye. The pro Al Shabaab outlet Halgan Media said: “Sources reveal US and Somali special forces raided a rural farming village outside the town of Afgoye in the Lower Shabelle province of Somalia.
Exactly six months after Joe Biden became president, the US conducted its first declared strike in Somalia of his administration, at either 10.21 or 11.05am on July 20th 2021. According to Morad News the attack took place in the Qay’ad area of Muldug, with Sonna state media reporting that the airstrike was conducted on a
Four al-Shabaab militants were killed by declared AFRICOM strikes near Xaradheere on January 25, 2023. AFRICOM released a statement on January 30th that “At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia and in support of Somali National Army engagements against al-Shabaab, U.S. Africa Command conducted a collective self-defense strike on Jan. 25, 2023. The strike
Somali state media reported that 167 al-Shabaab militants were killed by Somali airstrikes in collaboration with “international partners” near Harardhere town on September 2, 2023. al-Shabaab instead identified those killed as four inmates in a prison, adding that seven others were injured, while a local source attributed the airstrike to the US military. @HarunMaruf quoted
A US Special Forces drone strike allegedly killed Adan Garaar, a senior member of al Shabaab, according to the Pentagon and Somali and Kenyan officials. The attack reportedly destroyed one or two vehicles in southwestern Somalia, killing two other alleged members of the group. There are currently no reports of civilian harm from this strike.
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
AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab militants on Jan. 18, approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Kismayo”. It added: “No civilians were killed in this strike.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike killed “four (4) terrorists.” In a subsequent FOIA response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, AFRICOM
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
A named man, Abow Ali Wardi (or Wardiyow), was widely reported killed in a US targeted strike near Kunyo Barrow. While there were some local claims that the victim was a non combatant, AFRICOM later insisted the target was “an al-Shabaab facilitator” and that “It is assessed with a high degree of confidence that civilian
French commandos failed to a rescue a French spy held hostage by al Shabaab since 2009. Paris claimed the militants executed the captured secret service agent, known by his alias Denis Allex, during an assault by 50 Special Forces troops. However al Shabaab’s media wing said the hostage survived. Seventeen alleged militants were reportedly killed
A reported airstrike or bomb blast by an unknown party on an al Shabaab radio station in Buale or Jilib town killed up to 25 al Shabaab supporters – five of them journalists. US Africa Command later denied responsibility. According to Sonna Somalia, “At least 10 people have been killed and more than 30 others
Somali officials reported the death of a senior al Shabaab commander during a gun battle at Wanlaweyn. It was not clear whether US forces had also participated in the raid. According to the Horn Observer, “The special forces known as DANAB raided the house of Mohamed Osman Hussein Buluush, a mlitant bomb expert in the
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
An alleged US drone strike killed 17 Al Shabaab fighters near Amreereey. SNA, the Somali forces’ radio, said that the strike “was carried out in collaboration with the Somali National Army and its international allies, took place in Amrerey area of Jilib district in Middle Juba region.” It added: “The militants killed in the shelling
An AFRICOM declared US airstrike in coordination with Somali Army commandos resulted in the death of up to five Al-Shabab fighters near Labi-Kus village on July 17, 2022. Somali National News Agency (SONNA), a Somali government-run news agency, tweeted that “three #Alshabab terrorists were killed and one was captured after Somali National Army’s commandos (#DANAB) attacked