Geolocation
Airwars assessment
On the same day, AFRICOM reported that it had “conducted an airstrike against ISIS, in northeastern Somalia on Nov. 27”. It added that “the strike occurred at approximately 3 p.m. local Somalia time” and made no mention of civilian harm. However, it did claim that the strike had “killed one terrorist”.
Reuters placed the attack near Qandala: “Colonel Ali Abdi, a military officer in an area near the town of Qandala in the semi-autonomous Puntland region, said the strike took place in hills near the town. ‘We heard a huge crash of air strike in the hilly areas of Dasaan remote area behind Qandala town this afternoon'” Abdi told Reuters from Dasaan. ‘After the strike the IS militants ran away from there. We went to the scene and saw pieces of a dead body.’
In a subsequent FOIA response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, AFRICOM said it had struck what it says were al Shabaab fighters on this date, in the vicinity of Boholle, Somalia.
The incident occured at approximately 3:00 pm local time.
Geolocation notes (1) [ collapse]
Reports of the incident mention that the strike took place in Northeastern Somalia, in the hilly areas of the remote Dasaan area, in the vicinity of the village Boholle (11.16484, 49.81994). The coordinates for Dasaan are: 11.174141, 49.827153. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (6) [ collapse]
US Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
U.S. Conducts Airstrike in Support of the Federal Government of Somalia
In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against ISIS, in northeastern Somalia on Nov. 27, killing one terrorist.
The strike occurred at approximately 3 p.m. local Somalia time.
U.S. forces will continue to use all authorized and appropriate measures to protect U.S. citizens and to disable terrorist threats. This includes partnering with AMISOM and Somali National Security Forces (SNSF) in combined counterterrorism operations and targeting terrorists, their training camps, and their safe havens throughout Somalia and the region.
Our political and security goals in Somalia are the same: a reconstituted Somali state at peace internally and able to address all threats within its territory.
Via FOIA response May 2019:
"11/27/2017 AS fighters IVO Boholle, Somalia. al Shabaab fighters."