Incident date
July 15, 2015
LOCATION
Baardheere, Gedo, SomaliaA US drone strike allegedly killed “a senior commander and other members” of al Shabaab. Two or three people were reportedly killed by the drones – with an artillery barrage from Kenyan troops followed up the air attack according to the Los Angeles Times, and reportedly killing 50 ‘militants’. This was the first of six
Summary
Incident date
July 20, 2017
LOCATION
Gaduud, Lower Juba, SomaliaOn 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
Summary
Incident date
January 18, 2018
LOCATION
Jameeco Jilyaale near Beled ul Amin, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaThe US confirmed it had accompanied Somali troops in a mission that rescued 30 to 32 boys from an al Shabaab indoctrination centre in the Lower Shabelle region. However, during the rescue attempt, fire reportedly from Somali forces reportedly killed four or five children, and a teacher. A later US government FOIA response indicated that
Summary
Incident date
October 14, 2018
LOCATION
Araara, Lower Juba, SomaliaFour 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
Summary
Incident date
February 24, 2019
LOCATION
23 miles east of Belet Weyne, Hiiraan, SomaliaA confirmed US action, striking approximately 23 miles east of Beledweyne in the Hiran Region, killed 35 militants while no civilians were harmed, an AFRICOM statement asserted the next day. The airstrike targeted armed al Shabaab militants “as they were transitioning between locations in a rural area”, the US command said. Marine Corps Maj. Gen.
Summary
Incident date
May 13, 2016
LOCATION
Southern Somalia, Bay, SomaliaIn June 2016, the US reported that six weeks earlier it had struck a group of al Shabaab fighters, killing three. According to the AFRICOM statement released on June 27th 2016, “U.S. forces supporting the Federal Government of Somalia, the Somali National Army and troop contributing nations to the African Union Mission in Somalia, provided
Summary
Incident date
December 16, 2019
LOCATION
Dujuuma, Middle Juba, SomaliaPublicly declaring its 60th strike of the year, AFRICOM said that it had targeted and killed an alleged al Shabaab terrorist According to a press release issued on the same date, “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting an al-Shabaab terrorist in the vicinity of Dujuuma, Somalia,
Summary
Incident date
March 7, 2020
LOCATION
غندرشي, Gandarshe, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaFour Al Shabaab members were allegedly killed in a US airstrike near Gandarshe, AFRICOM declared. The official press release asserted: “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting an al-Shabaab camp in vicinity of Gandarshe, Somalia, Mar. 7. The command’s initial assessment concluded this airstrike killed four (4) terrorists. We
Summary
Incident date
July 9, 2020
LOCATION
Vicinity of Hantiwadaag, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaThe Somali government and US Africa Command declared the first US action in 53 days, reporting an airstrike on an al Shabaab checkpoint in the vicinity of Hantiwadaag, in Lower Shabelle. One alleged militant was reported killed. Declaring the attack, Somalia’s Ministry of Information said the strike had taken place in the afternoon. “The FGS,
Summary
Incident date
July 25, 2021
LOCATION
Between Qaycad town and Xarardheere district, Mudug, SomaliaThe US conducted its second airstrike within four days against Al Shabab fighters in the Qay’ad area between Qaycad town and Xarardheere district on July 23, 2021 at 10:21AM. According to Morad News, the US airstrike was in support of Somali forces involved in fighting with Al Shabab fighters as they were trying to capture
Summary
Incident date
January 29, 2023
LOCATION
between Tawakal and Garasjered, Lower Shabelle, Somalia136 al-Shabaab fighters were killed and up to 98 others were injured in an operation carried out by the Somali government and international partners between Tawakal and Garasjered in Lower Shabelle region on January 29, 2023. BBC News quoted the Somali government who said that 136 al-Shabaab fighters, including top commanders, were killed in a
Summary
Incident date
September 6, 2023
LOCATION
Oodweyn, Mudug, SomaliaUp to seven civilians, including up to five children and a woman, were killed and up to five others, including children, were injured during an operation that has been declared by the Somali government. The US has denied directly participating in the operation despite accusations of US drone/air strikes, while the Somali government has denied
Summary
Incident date
January 9, 2007
LOCATION
Xayo, Garer, Bankajirow and Badmadow, Ras Kambooni, Lower Juba, SomaliaSeveral people, possibly civilians, were left wounded as US airstrikes hit four towns near Ras Kamboni, including a terrorist training camp on Badmadow island, local and international media reported. Sources added that up to ten al Qaeda members were also killed. The strikes came just two days after the US-launched AC-130 attack in Ras Kamboni,
Summary
Incident date
April 6, 2016
LOCATION
جيليب, Al Shabaab police station and vicinity in Jillib, Middle Juba, SomaliaThe US carried airstrikes in self-defence in Jillib, Middle Juba, as reported by local media. According to one local tweet, the attack took place at night in Jilib. Mogadishu News claimed that eight militants were killed when an al Shabaab police station was struck – noting “civilian houses razed by the strikes.” UPDATE: Drone strikes
Summary
Incident date
September 12, 2017
LOCATION
حرمك, Kunya Barrow, Middle Juba, SomaliaThe US carried out an air strike on September 13th, killing six al Shabaab members, according to a press release from US Africa Command. The strike took place at approximately 0215 local time (1115 GMT), hitting an area in southern Somalia about 260km south of the capital, AFRICOM said. The original press release said three
Summary
Incident date
April 16, 2018
LOCATION
ليغو, Leego, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaUS forces carried out a strike against al Shabaab militants on April 16th near Leego, an Africa Command spokesperson told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in early May. AFRICOM made no mention of civilian harm. An AFRICOM spokespersons noted that “No terrorists were killed and no equipment was destroyed in this strike.” Leego is described
Summary
Incident date
February 10, 2019
LOCATION
Janaale, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA joint night time operation at Janaale by Somali National Armed Forces and AFRICOM – including the reported landing of US forces – led to a number of al Shabaab casualties and possible damage to civilian homes. Although AFRICOM did not confirm the incident at the time, a later FOIA response did confirm the action.
Summary
Incident date
February 2, 2019
LOCATION
Forsooley, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA reported tweet from Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency – apparently since deleted – referred to a joint raid on February 2nd by Somali and US forces which was said to have killed 40 al Shabaab fighters. Goobjoog News, which picked up on the original tweet, said that “The National Intelligence and Security Agency
Summary
Incident date
January 19, 2020
LOCATION
Near Bangeeni, Lower Juba, SomaliaA US airstrike was called in to support a Somali forces unit under attack from al Shabaab, AFRICOM reported the next day. According to the official press release, “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab terrorists who engaged Somali National Army Danab Unit near Bangeeni, Somalia,
Summary
Incident date
March 15, 2020
LOCATION
Vicinity of Janaale, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaSeveral 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
Summary
Incident date
September 20, 2020
LOCATION
Moyiloow, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaEight civilians were allegedly killed in a joint US/Somali military operation near Tortorrow. Halgan Media said: “US trained Somali Paramilitary Forces (Danab) executed 8 civilians inside a Mosque during an overnight raid targeting the village of Moyiloow in the Lower Shabelle province of Somalia. All the victims where executed at close range. Two of them
Summary
Incident date
August 9, 2022
LOCATION
near Beledweyne, Hiiraan, SomaliaFour Al-Shabaab members were killed by three declared US airstrikes near Beledweyne on August 9, 2022. Somalia state media was the first to report on August 9th that “at the request of Somali Government, #US launched a strike in support of Somali National Army forces conducting counterterrorism operations in #Hiran region. There were no civilians
Summary
Incident date
March 3, 2023
LOCATION
Turdho village, Lower Juba, Somalia13 al-Shabaab militants were killed during operations allegedly carried out by the Somali National Army Danab Special Forces with the aid of the US Africa Command and the Jubbaland State Forces in Turdho village of Lower Jubba on March 3, 2022. Garowe Online reported that an operation carried out by the Danab Special Forces with the
Summary
Incident date
February 9, 2024
LOCATION
in the vicinity of the village of Yaq Dabel, Lower Juba, SomaliaOn the 9th of February, 2024, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against Al-Shabaab near the village of Yaq Dabel, located to the west of the city of Kismayo in Lower Juba, Somalia. AFRICOM released a statement on the 14th of February regarding the strike which made reference to an initial post-strike assessment that
Summary
Incident date
January 7, 2017
LOCATION
Gaduud, Lower Juba, SomaliaIn the last declared Somalia strike of Barack Obama’s presidency, the US conducted a “self-defence strike” against al Shabaab on January 7th, according to a US Africa Command press release published on January 10th. The strike was conducted “in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, Somali partner forces, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)
Summary
Incident date
November 14, 2017
LOCATION
Idow Jalaad, near Leego, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA US strike killed “several” al Shabaab fighters in the seventh aerial attack in Somalia in six days. Lower Shabelle’s deputy governor told Voice of America the strike had killed six al Shabaab fighters in the village of Idow Jalad. A statement from US Africa Command said the strike was carried out “in coordination with
Summary
Incident date
February 1, 2019
LOCATION
غندرشي, Gandarshe, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaAFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab fighters in the vicinity of Gandarshe, Lower Shebelle Region, Somalia, on February 1, 2019.” It added that “at this time, it was assessed no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.” However, AFRICOM claimed that the strike had “killed 13 militants.” According
Summary
Incident date
May 22, 2019
LOCATION
Golis Mountains, Noogal, SomaliaThe US military carried out an airstrike targeting alleged ISIS-Somalia terrorists in the Golis Mountains, according to a press release issued by US Africa Command. The strike killed two fighters from ISIS-Somalia it was asserted, with AFRICOM currently assessing that no civilians had been harmed. “This is the fifth precision airstrike against ISIS-Somalia since April
Summary
Incident date
October 18, 2019
LOCATION
Bulo Haji, Lower Juba, SomaliaIn 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
Summary
Incident date
August 5, 2019
LOCATION
Salagle, Middle Juba, SomaliaLocal reports – including by the former head of Somalia’s national intelligence service – said that a senior al Shabaab figure was killed in Salagle. According to Mareeg, “al-Shabaab’s chief of security, Sheikh Jafar Ali Mohamud, and a few other members were killed” in an event at Salagle. Other actions were reported at nearby Sakow