Geolocation
Airwars assessment
US Africa Command reported on the same day that it had “conducted an airstrike in the vicinity of Leego, Bay Region, Somalia, on February 5, 2019.” According to AFRICOM this was the second airstrike it undertook over a 48 hour period, the first occurring on February 3rd in Gandarshe, Lower Shebelle Region.
AFRICOM added that “at this time, it was assessed no civilians were injured or killed in either airstrike.”
AFRICOM did not specify whether any belligerent forces had been killed or injured. However CNN’s Ryan Browne and the New York Times’ Charlie Savage both tweeted that according to US officials, “the second strike killed 2 militants near Leego, ‘a reported al-Shabaab financial center used by terrorist to fund their operations’.”
In a subsequent FOIA response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, AFRICOM confirmed it had targeted on this date what it says were al Shabaab fighters, in the vicinity of Leego.
The local time of the incident is unknown.
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention that the strike took place in the vicinity of the village Leego (ليغو), for which the coordinates are: 2.71437, 44.50902. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.
Summary
Sources (2) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]
US Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
In support of the Federal Government of Somalia's increased efforts to degrade al-Shabaab, U.S. Africa Command conductedtwo airstrikes in separate engagements in the last 48 hours. The first airstrike occurred in the vicinity of Gandarshe, Lower Shebelle Region, Somalia, on February 3, 2019. U.S. Africa Command also conducted an airstrike in the vicinity of Leego, Bay Region, Somalia, on February 5, 2019.
These precision airstrikes support Somali partners’ ongoing efforts to reduce al-Shabaab safe havens, degrade the terrorists’ infrastructure, and destroy terrorist equipment. Strikes complement our Somali partners’ successes against al-Shabaab, and are one component of our combined efforts to protect the Somali people from terrorism.
At this time, it was assessed no civilians were injured or killed in either airstrike.
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 Armyforces.