Library image of an armed Reaper drone, December 2019 (US Air Force/ Senior Sergeant Haley Stevens)
US declared airstrikes near Cadale, Middle Shabelle, Somalia on December 14, 2022 allegedly killed seven al-Shabaab militants, with no civilians killed or injured. Statements from the Somali government put casualty counts at 88 al-Shabaab militants killed in Middle Shabelle. AFRICOM released a statement on December 18th that “At the request of the Federal Government of
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
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
In its latest actions in support of Somali ground forces, AFRICOM confirmed that it had conducted airstrikes on al Shabaab positions “in the vicinity of Qeycad” on August 1st. Statements published by both the Somali Ministry of Information and Galmudug State referred to two separate strikes, which Airwars is therefore treating as separate events. Galmudug
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
Scores of militants were killed by alleged US drone strikes near Forward Operation Base in #Awdhegle district on September 10, 2023. A tweet from @HornSentinel reported that US drones carried out two strikes against al-Shabaab fighter who had stormed the Somali National Army (SNA) Forward Operation Base in #Awdhegle district, resulting in the death of
US forces carried out a strike against al Shabaab at approximately 8pm local Somalia time killing “several” fighters, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said. It was also alleged by local officials that three civilians had died. The strike hit the Lower Shabelle region. A Somali military official told Voice of America the strike, which they said
Two airstrikes were declared the same day by US Africa Command, in partnership with the Somali government, which were said to have targeted al Shabaab in the vicinity of Kunya Barrow. According to two pro Shabaab sources, at least one of the strikes targeted Kunya Barrow itself – alleging that a 70 year old woman
One high ranking al-Shabaab leader was killed by declared US and Somali airstrikes near Haramka in Middle Juba on October 1, 2022. Local sources also reported that another man named Ibrahim Hassan Dahir was also killed but are conflicted as to his status as a militant or civilian. According to AFP, a top al-Shabaab leader
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
Two Cuban doctors, general medicine specialist Assel Herrera and surgeon Landy Rodriguez, were reportedly killed in a declared U.S. airstrike (possibly drone strike) conducted around 12:05am on the 15th of February 2024 in the town of Jilib, in the region of Middle Juba, Somalia. The militant group Al-Shabaab stated via Telegram that it had captured
According to local reports a US airstrike, carried out as part of a land and air operation, was conducted in the Gambole area killing up to eight alleged Al-Shabaab fighters on March 8th. Two civilians were also reportedly killed in the strike and four more injured, Voice of America said. According to Mareeg: “U.S. forces
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.
US declared airstrikes near Cadale, Middle Shabelle, Somalia on December 17, 2022 allegedly killed eight al-Shabaab militants, with no civilians killed or injured. AFRICOM released a statement on December 18th that “At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two collective self-defense strikes, one each on Dec. 14 and 17,
A tweet from @ArlaadiMnetwork quoted Buurhakaba town commissioner Ibrahim Mohamed Leysamow that “11 #AlShabab fighters were killed in a fresh airstrike conducted by international friends besides the city.’ No other information was available regarding the strike and who was responsible. While no sources directly implicated the US in the operation, the Somali government’s reference to
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
The brief recapture by al Shabaab of the strategic town of Amara on the morning of August 24th was reversed by Somali ground forces, assisted by a US airstrike. Up to 90 militants and five government soldiers were killed in the strike, according to the Somali government and state media. Amara had been held by
More than 272 al-Shabaab militants were reportedly killed and others were injured by Somali forces and “international partner” airstrikes or ground operations in Iji and Afad villages near Jalalaqsi district on February 15-16, 2023. Hiraan Online News reported that “unidentified drones” bombed villages in the Hiraan region on as part of clashes between Somali government forces
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
A US strike on al Shabaab fighters in the Lower Shabelle region also killed three civilians, Amnesty International later reported. Two US strikes took place in Somalia on November 12th, with one targeting al Shabaab and the other hitting Islamic State fighters, according to US Africa Command. The strikes killed “several fighters”, it said. The
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
Up to 10 civilians, including a child, were killed and up to 20 others were injured in alleged Somali and/or US airstrikes or drone strikes on the village of Mubarak on September 9, 2022. Sources are conflicted as to whether one of the people, Abdullahi Sheikh Abukar known locally as ‘Arab” was a member of
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
On the 17th of February, 2024, the Somali National Army (SNA) announced that they had conducted two airstrikes against Al-Shabaab militants with assistance from “international partners”. According to a statement from the Somali Ministry of Defense, one strike was conducted in the Kuntu Waarey District in Lower Shabelle and another was carried out in Galcad
The US conducted a confirmed airstrike on March 11th 2019 in the vicinity of Dara Salaam near Awdegle, Lower Shabelle Region, in “self-defense”. AFRICOM stated at the time that the airstrike – which it said killed eight al Shabaab militants – “was conducted in support of Somali-led ground forces that came under attack from militants”
The US military reported on the same day that it had conducted an airstrike against al Shabaab fighters in the town of Jilib. However it was locally claimed that the attack had killed three young children, whose bodies were shown on social media. In a press release published on the evening of the attack, AFRICOM
Six alleged al-Shabaab members were killed by declared US airstrikes on the small town of Awdal 248 km northeast of Mogadishu near Cadale, Middle Shabelle, on December 23, 2022. AFRICOM released a statement the same day that “At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted a self-defense strike, Dec. 23, in
Mepa News reported that US airstrikes on the Bisig Adde settlement of Buurhakabe district on July 24, 2023 bombarded civilian areas, resulting in the death of 5 civilians, including children, and the injury of 10 civilians. Images posted by the source show multiple injured civilians being treated. No other sources reported on this incident.
According to a local source, heavy fighting near the port of Bari in Puntland killed two people and injured five others, including civilians. AFRICOM later declared that “no U.S. military strike took place on the alleged date or location.” Radio Shabelle initially said that an airstrike by an unknown party had contributed to the violence
At least 60 Al-Shabaab militants were reported killed in a declared US airstrike in support of Somali ground actions, at Fiidow village in Hiiraan on February 22, 2022. Somali National Television reported that “over 60 Al Shabab terrorists were killed in a planned security operation conducted by #Somali National Army with support of airstrikes of