Geolocation
Airwars assessment
AFRICOM reported that the previous day it had “conducted two (2) airstrikes in the vicinity of Haradere, Somalia on November 21, 2018.”
It added: “We currently assess these airstrikes did not injure or kill any civilians.” This assessment details the strike on the arms cache.
Associated Press offered more detail on the attacks: “Somali intelligence officials said the latest airstrikes targeted locations in the rural villages of Jimo-Luqunyar and Adaley, 75 kilometers (46 miles) northeast of Harardere. They said at least four missiles hit a base for over 30 extremists assigned to collect livestock taxes from nomadic communities in the area. The officials requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.”
In a subsequent FOIA response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, AFRICOM confirmed it had struck what it says was an “al Shabaab cache site”, in the vicinity of Debatschille, Somalia.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention that the strike took place near Harardhere, in the vicinity of the village of Debatscile, for which the generic coordinates are: 5.172335, 48.123686. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (4) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]
US Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
To support the Federal Government of Somalia’s efforts to degrade al-Shabaab, U.S. forces conducted two (2) airstrikes in the vicinity of Haradere, Somalia on November 21, 2018.
To support the Federal Government of Somalia’s efforts to degrade al-Shabaab, U.S. forces conducted two (2) airstrikes in the vicinity of Haradere, Somalia on November 21, 2018.
We currently assess the first airstrike killed six (6) al-Shabaab militants and the second airstrike destroyed a weapons cache.
We currently assess these airstrikes did not injure or kill any civilians.
These precision airstrikes were conducted in coordination with and in support of the Federal Government of Somalia as it continues to degrade al-Shabaab. Airstrikes reduce al-Shabaab’s ability to plot future attacks, disrupt its leadership networks, and degrade its freedom of maneuver within the region.