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
A Somali special forces military action backed by “international partners” killed 35 al Shabaab fighters in the vicinity of Lafta Anole neighborhood in Lower Juba, according to local and international media reports. Xinhua carried the most detailed report: “Hassan Mohamad Aden, commander of the Danab Forces in Jubbaland State, said a joint operation was conducted
Possibly one civilian was killed and an unknown number of civilians injured in a confirmed U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian national Qassam Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, on Baghdad International Airport at January 3rd, 2020. The New York Times reported that an “American MQ-9 Reaper drone fired missiles into a convoy that was leaving
In its first declared action in Somalia of 2020, AFRICOM announced on the same day that “in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab terrorists who engaged Somali National Army partner forces on patrol near Bacaw.” AFRICOM added that “At this time, it is assessed this precision
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.
In retaliatory strikes against al Al Shabaab for a mass casualty bombing in Mogadishu a day earlier, the United States said that it had conducted three strikes against al Shbaab commanders, killing four people in total. This entry relates to one of two strikes in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow in Lower Shabelle. According to
In retaliatory actions against al Al Shabaab for a mass casualty bombing in Mogadishu a day earlier, the United States said that it had conducted three strikes against al Shbaab commanders, killing four people in total.This entry relates to one of two strikes in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow in Lower Shabelle. Al Shabaab itself
In apparent retaliatory strikes against al Al Shabaab for a mass casualty bombing in Mogadishu a day earlier, the United States said that it had conducted three strikes against al Shbaab commanders, killing four people in total. This entry relates to one strike in the vicinity of Caliyoow Barrow in Lower Shabelle. it later emerged
Publicly 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,
The US military reported on the same day that it had carried out an airstrike against al Shabaab in the vicinity of Saakow that killed one terrorist. “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab terrorists in the vicinity of Saakow, Somalia, on Dec. 9,” AFRICOM reported.
A few local-language Twitter sources suggested, on December 7th 2019, that US drone strikes had targeted “Muslim Brotherhood” militias, also described as “terrorists”, in the mountains of Al Arqoub in Abyan governorate. No other known sources reported US strikes, and there was no known information on alleged casualties. The first known report of the strikes,
The US military reported on the same day that it had carried out an airstrike in the vicinity of Jilib against al Shabaab fighters. It was not clear which of two locally reported targets – or indeed both – were struck. Unusually, AFRICOM made no mention of the number of militant fighters it believed had
The US military reported on the same day that it had carried out an airstrike near Qunyo Barrow that killed one “terrorist.” However al Shabaab insisted the victim was a local civilian businessman named Ismail Issa Bhutan. AFRICOM later insisted the target “was both an al-Shabaab leader and weapons supplier.” According to a press release
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
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,
Local media reported targeted strikes by an undeclared belligerent on the town of Bu’ale, which were said to have killed and injured senior named al Shabaab figures. According to Goobjoog News, “Reports indicate on the airstrike raid in Bay and Middle Juba region last night targeted Al Shabab base located in the area bulla falay
A US drone strike reportedly killed at least two alleged AQAP militants, including a leadership figure, in Raidan village, in the Al Kanaes area of Marib governorate, on November 1st 2019. One source, @AlkaramaHR, instead appeared to suggest that those killed were civilians, unaffiliated with AQAP. On January 2nd 2020, US Central Command told New
Up to nine civilians including two women and three children were reported killed in the US military operation that successfully targeted ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi in Barisha village in Idlib countryside, Syria, on October 26th, 2019. Al-Baghdadi was an ISIS leader who declared himself a Caliphate in Mosul, Iraq in 2014, and according
A US drone strike intended to target an Islamic State hideout near the remote Ameyra and Timirshe villages in the Golis Mountain region, killed two civilians and injured another, according to multiple local and international media sources. However in April 2020, AFRICOM insisted the targets “were ISIS-Somalia leadership and media operatives.”” At the time of
Local reports claimed that a pair of airstrikes by unknown intertnational powers – presumably either the United States or Kenya – had targeted al Shabaab fighters in the towns of Jamaame and Buaale. According to Radio Kulmiye, “Another airstrikes were reported [on Octoberr 25th] from Middle Jubba region, highly controlled by Al-Shabaab. Witnesses said that
Local reports claimed that a pair of airstrikes by unknown international powers – presumably either the United States or Kenya – had targeted al Shabaab fighters in the towns of Jamaame and Buaale. According to Radio Kulmiye, “Another airstrikes were reported [on October 25th] from Middle Juba region, highly controlled by Al-Shabaab. Witnesses said that
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
Two local-language Twitter sources reported that US drone strikes targeted “terrorist groups” in “Al-Ahmar camps” in the Azan and Al Houta area, Shabwa governorate. No other known sources alleged US strikes, and no information was available on casualties. There were no known reports of civilian harm. Since the first known report of this event, from
The US conducted a rare action against militant targets in Libya in September 2019, striking what it later said was “a terrorist facilitation and meeting location consisting of ISIS-Libya terrorist leadership and militants.” In April 2020, US Africa Command reported that no civilians were harmed in this action near Murzuq on September 19th, 2019 –
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
One local language social media source, @GawadSalah, claimed, on September 15th 2019, that six Emiratis were killed in an alleged AQAP camp in Shabwa by a US drone strike. The source seemed to refer to six Emirati soldiers reported, on September 14th 2019, to have been killed in a road “collision” in southern Yemen. Other
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