Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

USSOM200

Incident date

February 25, 2019

Location

Shebeleey, near Belet Weyne, Hiiraan, Somalia

Geolocation

4.71542, 45.21618 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Village level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

The US military carried out an airstrike in Somalia on February 25th that killed 20 terrorists, according to a press release from US Africa Command.

US Army Brig. Gen. Gregory Hadfield, AFRICOM deputy director of intelligence, said in the released statement: “This precision airstrike successfully targeted an encampment from which al-Shabaab could stage, coordinate, and execute attacks on Beledweyne.
The training camp that was targeted was used as a staging area to facilitate attacks on Beledweyne in the Hiran region of Somalia.”

US Africa Command said it currently assessed that no civilians were harmed in the attack. A vehicle was also destroyed in the airstrike, it said.

Heavy fighting was locally reported the night before the declared strike between Somali forces and al Shabaab fighters, between “Beledweyne and Mahas town”.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Geolocation notes

Reports of the incident mention that the strike ‘a location assessed to be an al-Shabaab training camp that was used as a staging area used to facilitate attacks on Beledweyne’, in the vicinity of a village called Shebeeley, for which the coordinates are: 4.71542, 45.21618. Due to limited information and satellite imagery available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Unknown
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    20

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (4) [ collapse]

US Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US Forces

"In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. forces targeted al-Shabaab militants, in the vicinity of Shebeeley, Hiran Region, Somalia, on February 25, 2019, to degrade its ability to plan and execute attacks against the Somali people."

Summary

  • Strike status
    Declared strike
  • Strike type
    Airstrike
  • Civilian harm reported
    No
  • Civilians reported killed
    Unknown
  • Causes of injury / death
    Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Unknown
  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • Known target
    Al-Shabaab
  • Belligerents reported killed
    20

Sources (7) [ collapse]