Library image of an armed Reaper drone, December 2019 (US Air Force/ Senior Sergeant Haley Stevens)
Local media reported a pair of alleged international airstrikes targeting the al Shabaab held towns of Jilib and Jamaame. Unusually the culprit was alleged to be France according to vague ‘sources’. However reporting remains poor. According to Mareeg News, “A suspected French military fighter jet has carried out airstrikes against al Shabab, an al Qaeda
Local media reported a pair of alleged international airstrikes targeting the al Shabaab held towns of Jilib and Jamaame. Unusually the culprit was alleged to be France according to vague ‘sources’. However reporting remains poor. According to Mareeg News, “A suspected French military fighter jet has carried out airstrikes against al Shabab, an al Qaeda
Two civilians were allegedly killed by a US or Kenyan airstrike on Abaloni. AFRICOM later denied conducting a strike in the area. Hussein Eliyow tweeted: “SOMALIA: Reports of US /Kenya airstrike in Abaloni village, outside Hosingow town last night. Residents say the airstrike killed at least two nomads. More details to follow.” AFRICOM discounted the
The US military declared an airstrike near Qunyo Barrow that killed one al Shabaab fighter, according to a press release from US Africa Command. The attack took place on the same date that AFRICOM had carried out a retaliatory airstrike following a complex al Shabaab attack on Baledogle airfield. The press release noted: “In coordination
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 an incident not originally declared publicly, AFRICOM officials later confirmed to Airwars that they had conducted a strike against al Shabaab in the lower Shabelle – for which they did not report either any militant or any civilian harm. Public Affairs Current Operations Branch Chief, Desiree Frame, told Airwars by email dated October 4th
The US military carried out an airstrike on al Shabaab fighters – possibly high value – after they attacked a Somali patrol in the northwest of Kismayo, Lower Juba Province, according to a press release from US Africa Command. No civilian harm was reported in this incident. According to the official statement: “In coordination with
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 United States carried out a second airstrike near Jilib on September 3rd 2019, this time against an “al-Shabaab associated vehicle”, and with no known casualties. Details were revealed by AFRICOM in an email exchange with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism on October 4th 2019: “Separately, AFRICOM conducted an air strike targeting al-Shabaab equipment in
The United States reported conducting an airstrike against al Shabaab in the vicinity of Qunyo Barrow on August 20th, which it asserted had “killed one (1) terrorist.” According to a press release issued on the same day, “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting an al-Shabaab terrorist
Local 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
According to Voice of America correspondent Harun Maruf, two airstrikes by an unknown party struck al Shabaab targets in southern Somalia. One unsuccesfully targeted a ‘senior ISIS figure’ near Buaale. According to Maruf’s tweet, “There are reports of 2 new airstrikes in S. Somalia overnight. A strike in Jamame area reportedly hit a graduation ceremony
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.
The US military conducted a fresh airstrike on so-called Islamic State in Somaliland, reporting the next day that they had killed one senior member of the terrorist group in the Golis Mountains region. “At this time, it is assessed the airstrike killed one (1) terrorist who played a key role in facilitation for the group,
A reported US drone strike killed al Shabaab’s head of domestic intelligence in a night time action near Kunyo Barrow. While the action was apparently confirmed by Somali military radio, AFRICOM did not declare a strike on this date – indicating a possible CIA action. Voice of America reporter Harun Maruf first mentioned the strike
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
Two civilian were reported killed by US ground troops near Shanta Baraako in an apparent distortion of an In These Times investigation. AFRICOM later discounted the allegation. The In These Times report alleged that Waliyo Cali Qaasim and Abdikadir Ali were killed by Danab special forces in a counter-terrorism operation. In a post in the
Al Shabaab members or civilians were allegedly killed in US strikes near Jilib and Basra. AFRICOM later denied conducting strikes in the area. Harun Maruf reported: “Overnight airstrikes killed dozens of Al-Shabaab militants in Jilib, Cmdr of AS’s Hisba police station in the town, Hassan Dhere, his deputy and a 3rd official among the dead,
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
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
The US military declared carrying out an airstrike targeting al Shabaab militants in Jilib, according to a press release issued on the same day by US Africa Command. According to the statement, “At this time, it is assessed the airstrike killed one (1) militant. Currently, we assess no civilians were injured or killed as a result
The US military carried out two separate airstrikes targeting al Shabaab in the vicinity of Jilib, according to a press release from US Africa Command. According to AFRICOM, “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, on June 16, 2019… At
The US military carried out two separate airstrikes targeting al Shabaab in the vicinity of Jilib, Middle Juba, according to a press release from US Africa Command. According to AFRICOM, “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, on June
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 carried out an airstrike targeting ISIS-Somalia in the Golis Mountains, according to a press release the following day by US Africa Command. According to AFRICOM, the strike killed six ISIS-Somalia fighters, and was currently assessed as having caused no civilian harm. “The Golis Mountains are a known area for terrorist camps and
Reports emerged of a possible US airstrike in Jilib targeting a senior al Shabaab security commander, according to Voice of America (VOA) journalist Harun Maruf. Maruf – a journalist noted for his good sources within the Somali military – asserted on Twitter: “Hearing reports that an airstrike occurred in Jilib tonight targeting a senior Al-Shabaab
The US military carried out a fresh airstrike targeting al Shabaab (rather than ISIS) in the Golis Mountains, according to a press release issued by US Africa Command. The strike killed three al Shabaab fighters, AFRICOM asserted – saying that it currently assessed that no civilians had been harmed in the attack. This marked the
The US military carried out an airstrike in the Golis Mountains, according to a press release from US Africa Command. Unusually for recent strikes in the area, the attack targeted al Shabaab rather than ISIS according to AFRICOM. The strike reportedly killed three al Shabaab fighters, with AFRICOM saying that it currently assessed no civilians had
The 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
The US military carried out an airstrike near Baled Amin in the Lower Shabelle region, according to a press release issued 48 hours later by US Africa Command. The strike killed two al Shabaab fighters according to AFRICOM, which also asserted that it currently determined that no civilians had been harmed in the attack. “Al-Shabaab