Geolocation
Airwars assessment
AFRICOM reported on the same day that it had carried out an airstrike targeting al Shabaab in the vicinity of Dheerow Sanle in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia.
According to AFRICOM “no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.” The strike “killed six (6) militants and destroyed one vehicle.”
In a subsequent FOIA response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, AFRICOM again confirmed it had struck on this date what it says were al Shabaab fighters, in the vicinity of Dheerow Sanle.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Summary
Sources (9) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention that the strike took place in the vicinity of the village Deerow Sanle, for which the coordinates are: 1.4603, 43.16366. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
US Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
To support the Federal Government of Somalia's continued efforts to degrade al-Shabaab, U.S. forces conducted one (1) airstrike targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Dheerow Sanle, Lower Shabelle Region, Somalia, on January 6, 2019.
This airstrike was conducted to diminish al-Shabaab’s freedom of movement and to increase pressure on the terrorist network in the area.
We currently assess this airstrike killed six (6) militants and destroyed one vehicle.
At this time we assess no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.
“We remain fully committed to supporting the Federal Government of Somalia, its forces, and its partners in the fight against al-Shabaab,” said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Gregg P. Olson, director of operations, U.S. Africa Command. “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. forces conduct precision airstrikes such as this to foil terrorist plans, eliminate al-Shabaab terrorists and reduce the enemy’s freedom of maneuver.”
Alongside our Somali and international partners, we are committed to preventing al-Shabaab from taking advantage of safe havens from which they can build capacity and attack the people of Somalia. In particular, the group uses portions of southern and central Somalia to plot and direct terror attacks, steal humanitarian aid, extort the local populace to fund its operations, and shelter radical terrorists.
U.S. Africa Command will continue to work with its partners to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia from AMISOM to the Federal Government of Somalia and its Member States, and U.S. forces will use all effective and appropriate methods to protect the Somali people, including partnered military counter-terror operations with the Federal Government of Somalia, AMISOM and Somali National Army forces.