Geolocation
Airwars assessment
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 counter-terrorism operation, multiple al Shabaab fighters had approached the force, and that US personnel conducted the action.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention the village of Gobanala (or Gobanle), for which the generic coordinates are: 3.12222, 44.76507. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (2) [ collapse]
US Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
"On August 30, 2016 U.S. forces conducted a self-defense strike against al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-associated terrorist group, in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia near Gobanale, Somalia. The strike resulted in the death of two (2) al-Shabaab militants.
During a Somali-led counterterrorism operation, multiple armed al-Shabaab fighters approached the force, threatening their safety and security. In response, U.S. forces conducted the self-defense action."