Incident Code
Incident Code
Incident Date
Location
Geolocation
Geolocation
Airwars Assessment
(Previous Incident Code: SOM086)
Up to five people, including two reported civilians, were killed in a US military airstrike that hit in the vicinity of Jamaame, in Somalia’s Lower Juba region, international media reported.
According to a US Africa Command press release, a US strike on al Shabaab killed four members of the group.
VOA reporter Khadar Hared tweeted that two civilians were believed to be among the dead, killed in an airstrike at “Bangeeni village located about 8 km west of Jamame.”
A Somali government official also told VOA Somali that the strike killed five militants: “I can tell you that the airstrike hit a rickshaw and that five militants were killed. It was carried out by US drone, helping our intelligence forces on the ground.”
However the VOA report also said that “Somali officials said they were investigating the identity of those targeted. Some sources said two of those in the rickshaw were civilians traveling with three militants.”
Slightly different account from locals/witnesses – who tell @voasomali on condition of anonymity that 2 of those killed were civilians traveling with the #alShabab fighters
— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) February 22, 2018
US Africa Command later assessed that no civilians killed in the strike, noting: “NOT/ NOT CREDIBLE: Classified evidence captured at the scene proves story was incorrect,” according to a declassified assessment obtained by US investigative journalist Nick Mercer in 2019.
In a subsequent FOIA response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, AFRICOM confirmed it had struck that day what it says were “al-Shabaab Fighters”, in the vicinity of Kobon, Somalia.
Key Information
Geolocation Notes
Reports of the incident mention that the strike took place in the vicinity of Jamaame (0.06978, 42.748066). A subsequent FOIA response pointed to the nearby village of Kobon, for which the coordinates are: 0.03586, 42.704521. However, VOA reporter Khadar Hared tweeted that the strike took place in “Bangeeni village, located about 8 km west of Jamame.” The coordinates for Bangeeni are: 0.04072, 42.729703. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

The town Bangeeni between the Kobon and Jamaame
Imagery: Google Earth
Military Statements
Media From Sources (2)
BREAKING: At least three al Shabab members and two civilians were killed by an overnight airstrike in Bangeeni village located about 8 km west of Jamame district in lower Juba region #Somalia, some sources say the strike occurred as these people traveling on a motorcycle.
— Khadar Hared (@khadarHared) February 22, 2018