Library image of an armed Reaper drone, December 2019 (US Air Force/ Senior Sergeant Haley Stevens)
A mystery airstrike reportedly killed between 40 and 60 alleged belligerents on January 31st 2015. Xinhua also reported that “scores of others were injured” in the attack, leaving it unclear whether those injured were civilians or militants. It was described by some as a US drone strike – thought the Pentagon denied this. Abdulkadir Mohamed
US forces were involved in a “self-defence strike operation” with Somali National Army (SNA) forces “against an al Shabaab troop concentration” in the country’s south, according to an Africa Command (AFRICOM) press release. The statement did not include a casualty count, saying it “will continue to assess the results of the operation, and will provide
On December 27th 2017, AFRICOM reported that it had “conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab militants on the morning of Dec. 24, 2017, in southern Somalia”. AFRICOM made no mention of civilian harm. However, it claimed that the strike had killed “13 terrorists”. The strike hit southern Somalia according to officials, though no additional location details were provided
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
The US military carried out an airstrike targeting an al Shabaab fighter in Tortoroow, according to a press release issued two days later by US Africa Command. It was locally alleged that a named civilian public transport driver died in the attack. However AFRICOM later insisted thast the victim was “a high-level, al-Shabaab financier” and
The US military conducted an airstrike in self defence following a complex al-Shabaab attack on Baledogle Military Airfield (BMA) complex in Baledogle, US Africa Command reported. The strike and accompanying small arms fire killed 10 alleged terrorists, AFRICOM initially reported – thought this toll was later raised to 15. One US soldier was also injured,
In a press release issued on the same day, US Africa Command reported that it had targeted and killed a senior al Shabaab figure in the vicinity of Jilib, in Middle Juba. “At this time, it is assessed the airstrike killed one (1) terrorist. Strikes near Jilib disrupt al-Shabaab’s freedom of maneuver. The individual targeted
Two airstrikes were declared the same day by US Africa Command, in partnership with the Somali government, which reportedly targeted al Shabaab in the vicinity of Kunya Barrow. 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 in the vicinity
Six civilians were allegedly injured after a US airstrike near Kunya Barrow. Somali Memo, a news outlet close to Al Shabaab, said: “Last night, Drone planes bombed a civilian residence in the town of Kunya Barrow. Sources say several missiles hit the home and injure four civilians, including a mother and three children. The injured
Several Al Shabaab militants were reported killed at Sakow in a military strike which several local sources claimed was a US drone action. However AFRICOM explicitly denied this in an email to Airwars, insisting that “U.S. Africa Command’s last airstrike in Somalia was conducted Jan. 19, 2021.” Geesguud initially reported: “Residents in Middle Jubba reported
At least seven civilians, including three children, were killed by alleged US drone strikes between Fidow and Qura’ley villages on January 30, 2023. Shabelle Media Network spoke with the deputy Mahas district commissioner who said that seven villagers, including children, were killed by a strike believed to have been carried out by the US. Residents
On the 24th of February, 2024, the Federal Government of Somalia released a statement claiming that attacks by Somali government forces and international partner forces, conducted early in the morning of the same day, had killed 30 Al-Shabaab militants at a meeting point in the village of Jilib Marka, in the Lower Shabelle region of
At least one militant and as many as “three dozen” were killed in an alleged US-waged airstrike in Dhobley, Jubaland, international and regional media reported. The attack marked the beginning of a concerted campaign in Somalia against al Shabaab by the Obama administration. After a reporting gap of 18 months, US air attacks appear to
At least 19 alleged militants were killed in a joint operation between US and Somali forces in the village of Awdhegle. US attack helicopters supported US and Somali Special Forces who attacked an al Shabaab target in southern Somalia, the Pentagon and Somali officials said. The assault took place overnight. The soldiers flew on US
AFRICOM publicly reported that two days earlier, it had “conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab on the morning of March 19 near Mubaarak, Somalia”. The press release made no mention of civilian harm. However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike killed “two terrorists”, wounded another “three terrorists” and destroyed “one vehicle”. Voice of America reported the following:
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.
US Africa Command confirmed that it had carried out an airstrike on March 12th 2019 in the vicinity of Huley, Lower Shabelle Region. According to AFRICOM, the airstrike killed two “terrorists”, and “at this time, it is assessed no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.” In September 2019, the TRT World Research Centre
A total of 11 al Shabaab militants were killed as US forces conducted two airstrikes in the vicinity of Beled Amin South on December 19th, a US Africa Command press release claimed. According to AFRICOM, no civilians were harmed. The strike referenced here killed three militants and the second strike killed eight militants, the US
The US reported two days after the event that it had conducted two “self-defence strikes” on September 5th against al Shabaab, killing four militants in total. According to an AFRICOM press release, the strikes hit near Tortoroow and were conducted in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia after a Somali-led counter-terrorism operation came under
In an event not publicly disclosed at the time, US Africa Command conducted a strike in the vicinity of Jilib on February 3rd, which it later said “did not result in any terrorist deaths, injuries or damage to equipment and infrastructure. Nor did we assess any civilians were killed or injured.” The strike came to
One senior Al Shabaab member was allegedly killed by US airstrike on Saakow. AFRICOM said in its press release: “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting an al-Shabaab senior leader in the vicinity of Saakow, Somalia, on Aug. 25. The command’s initial assessment concluded this airstrike killed
An unknown number of casualties among militants resulted from alleged Somalia forces with the assistance of US airstrikes/drone strikes on October 7, 2021. Harun Maruf a journalist with Voice of America reported that the Somali military in collaboration with international security partners carried out airstrikes on four militant camps, destroying them. At the time there
Between 10 and 40 militants were killed by declared US airstrikes near Afmadow in Lower Juba on July 8, 2023. AFRICOM announced on July 9, 2023 that “At the request of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted three collective self-defense airstrikes overnight in a remote area near Afmadow, approximately 105 kilometers north
A British al Shabaab fighter, Bilal al-Berjawi, was killed by a US drone strike in or near the town of Elasha Biyaha, 15km south of Mogadishu, local and international media reported. There were no reports of civilian harm. Three missiles fired from a drone operated by JSOC killed British-Lebanese militant Bilal al-Berjawi, also known as
The US reported two days after the event that it had conducted two “self-defence strikes” on September 5th against al Shabaab, killing four militants. According to an AFRICOM press release, the strikes hit near Tortoroow and were conducted in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia after a Somali-led counter-terrorism operation came under attack. Garowe
US forces carried out a strike against al Shabaab at approximately 1630 local time on November 11, US Africa Command said. It made no mention of civilian harm. However, AFRICOM stated that the strike killed a single fighter, and that it took place near Gaduud, located 250 miles southwest of the capital, Mogadishu. This and
An American Special Forces soldier was killed – later named as Staff Sergeant Alexander Conrad – and four others were wounded in an attack by al Shabaab fighters in Jubaland. A member of a partner force was also killed or injured. The US soldiers were among a large force of 800 Somali and Kenyan soldiers
US Africa Command reported that the previous day, it had conducted “one (1) airstrike targeting an al-Shabaab encampment in the vicinity of Yaaq Braawe, Bay Region, Somalia, on January 8, 2019.” It added: “At this time we assess no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.” AFRICOM also stated that the airstrike “killed six
The Somali military said that double US strikes near Jilib town killed 16 al Qaeda and al Shabaab fighters, according to Radio Risaala. US Africa Command did not however publish a press release for this event – though it did report a strike on the same date near Tortoroow. Quoting an anonymous military official, Risaala
According to a Freedom of Information response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, this previously unknown confirmed US strike took place in the vicinity of Saakow, Somalia against an unspecified “al-Shabaab Named Objective”. This incident was not previously publicly known. No further details are currently available.