Mabkhout Ali al Ameri with his 18-month old son Mohammed, shortly after a botched US raid on al Ghayil in January 2017 had killed at least 20 villagers, including Mohammed's mother Fatim Saleh Mohsen. © Iona Craig
One civilian was reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Al Hudhi, Hadhramout, at around 5pm on March 7th 2018, “a member of his family and independent observers” told The Intercept. Saleh al-Wuhair was reportedly killed as he stood on a hill in the area, looking for a mobile phone signal. No other known
Up to six people, including at least one possible civilian, were killed and at least two possible civilians were wounded, as a US-launched raid targeted and reportedly killed a high value al Qaeda/ al Shabab member, Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, international media reported. The attack marked the first known lethal operation by US forces in
A US drone strike reportedly targeted Abdul Reza Shahlai, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Qods Force commander in Sana’a, overnight from January 2nd-3rd 2020. While initial reports suggested that Shahlai had been killed in the strike, official sources later indicated that he had survived. There was some indication that another Iranian soldier was killed, however.
Seven ISIS fighters were killed by a US airsrtrike near Timirshe, according to AFRICOM. The press release said: “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia terrorists after they attacked partner forces in a remote location near Timirshe, Somalia, July 21. Timirshe is located 140 kilometers southeast
A US airstrike alelgedly killed Al Shabaab fighter near Deb Scinnele, according to AFRICOM. The press release said: “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command forces conducted two airstrikes in the vicinities of Jamaame and Deb Scinnele, Somalia, Jan. 19. Initial assessments indicate the strikes killed three al-Shabaab operatives. The command’s
A single source, @AdenHurra, reported that “a number of civilians were killed and wounded after warplanes bombed the city of Jaar”, adding that the bombing occurred in the “outskirts of the city”. It is unknown whether Yemeni forces, US forces, or another belligerent, were to be blamed for this incident. There is no other information available
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
More than 30 Al-Shabaab militants were killed in an airstrike declared by Somali forces on Shabeelow village, located in the Mudug region of central eastern Somalia on the 23rd of September 2023, according to the Somali Ministry of Defense. Whilst an exact number of casualties was not given, the Ministry of Defense statement reported that
According to local and international media, on October 21st 2012 at around 8pm, a suspected US airstrike struck a Prado car, in the Hami and Al Damashqa area in the Obeida valley around 17km east of the city of Ma’arib, carrying three to four suspected Al Qaeda militants, killing everyone in the car. There are
Three ISIS militants were killed by a US strike in Al Bayda governorate on November 26th 2017, a US Central Command spokesperson told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. This confirmed earlier reports that a US drone strike had taken place in Qayfa in Al Bayda governorate on that night. However several local sources and news
In a third strike on May 27th 2012 in the Abyan province, a pick-up truck was reportedly destroyed in Harur near Jaar. Six alleged Al Qaeda militants were killed whilst travelling in the car, and there were no survivors, as reported by Xinhua. Yemeni airplanes were named as the suspected culprit. However, reporting during the
Two al Shabaab leaders were possibly killed in an alleged US or French-launched air or drone strike in Afgoye, Lower Shabelle, local and international media reported. No sources reported civilian harm. Missiles were fired at a training camp in Afgoye, Lower Shabelle, according to al Shabaab. An initial report from the Suna Times stated: “US
The US reported that it had conducted a “self-defense strike” against al Shabaab in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia in a press release published on September 7th. It said the strike hit near Gobanale and had resulted in the deaths of two al Shabaab militants. The press release reported that during a Somali-led
US Africa Command told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) in July 2018 that it had carried out two strikes in early June – one previously undisclosed. The second took place on June 3rd, and targeted members of al Shabaab approximately 24 miles southwest of Bosasso, according to AFRICOM. “We currently assess no terrorists and
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
The US military carried out an airstrike in the vicinity of Tortoroow, according to a press release from US Africa Command issued the following day. AFRICOM asserted that three al Shabaab fighters were killed, and that it currently assessed that no civilians were harmed in the action. It further noted that the precision airstrike was
AFRICOM publicly reported four strikes on the same area on the same day – asserting that it had killed 34 al Shabaab militants in total in the vicinity of Gandarshe. Another two strikes took place on December 16th, it said – killing another 28 militants. “All six airstrikes were conducted in close coordination with the
A civilian, who most sources reported to be a 17-year old child, was reportedly killed by a US drone strike in Wadi Khora area in Shabwa, before sunset on May 25th 2018. In a later press release, US Central Command stated that a strike had been conducted on that day, citing three possible provinces. Since
A senior al Shabaab communications official was reported killed, either in an air or ground operation. The official was named by all sources as Ibrahim Abu Hamza, reportedly a head of communications for the terror group. However there was conflicted reporting about both how he died – and at whose hands. According to Mareeg News,
Some local language Twitter users alleged that US battleships bombarded the area of Mojan, al-Maraqisha, Abyan province early on February 1st 2017, where AQAP militants were allegedly based. One source claimed that fisherman in the Shaqra area spotted American battleships approaching from the coast. There were no known reports of civilian or combatant casualties. Other
Multiple sources reported that a US drone strike killed two alleged AQAP militants travelling on a motorbike in the outskirts of Ahwar, Abyan governorate, on the evening of March 4th 2017. While there were no known initial reports of civilian harm, the Yemeni human rights group Mwatana later said that two civilian honey traders were
US airstrikes reportedly targeted alleged AQAP camps in the Mogan area of Al Maraqisha, Abyan governorate, overnight from April 2nd to April 3rd 2017. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm, or of belligerent casualties. According to Aden al-Ghad, a warplane launched several missiles at various locations in the area. Some sources such
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
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
A US drone strike reportedly killed an alleged AQAP leadership figure in the Arqoub area of Abyan governorate, on May 16th 2020. There were no known associated reports of civilian harm. Local sources told Yemen Press Agency that a May 16th strike had targeted AQAP leader Saad Al-Atiqi Al-Awlaki: “An American drone strike on Saturday
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
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. According
At least 17 militants were killed by US AFRICOM declared airstrikes approximately 285 kilometers northeast, possibly in Basra, Balad district and/or in Ceel Gorof (Galmudug) on November 9, 2022. AFRICOM released a statement two days after the incident, November 11th, that “Somali National Army forces were engaged with al Shabaab fighters in a remote area
On the 8th of August 2012, multiple drone or air strikes, allegedly by either Yemeni or US authorities, killed one person just before dawn in Al Qotn in the Hahdramaut Province. It remains unclear whether the person killed was a civilian or not. @YRMC_S and @AdenOnline reported one person killed while @BaFana3 reported that a
On the 24th of January, 2024, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against Al-Shabaab in a remote area near the town of Caad in the Mudug region of eastern Somalia. AFRICOM stated that six Al-Shabaab militants were killed in the strike and assessed that no civilians were injured or killed. AFRICOM released a statement