US Africa Command confirmed that it had carried out an airstrike on March 12th 2019 in the vicinity of Huley, Lower Shabelle Region. According to AFRICOM, the airstrike killed two “terrorists”, and “at this time, it is assessed no civilians were injured or killed in this airstrike.”

In September 2019, the TRT World Research Centre alleged that properties and livestock suffered “huge damage” in this attack, though no civilian harm was reported.

According to the TRT report: “A likely US-Somali raid attacked a neighboring village inflicting huge damage to the livestock and properties including farmland. However, testimony capture did not permit factual gathering regarding what occurred on that night.’

“TRT World Research Centre, interviewed Abshiro, who witnessed the attack and provided the following testimony: ‘The next night, a neighboring village was also raided by white and black men”, Abshiro said. ‘That assault contained both missile strike and infantry (men landed from planes – likely a Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey). They were Americans. The people who saw the soldiers the next night said they were Americans.

“‘A long time ago, Al Shabaab was present in the area, I think the Americans were probably searching for them. But the white man’s [the Americans] plan was misguided. The Al-Shabaab were not that far away from us. They control the whole area including Awdheegle and Barriire. However, our village was between a disputed area between the Somali government and Al Shabaab. It was normal that Somali soldiers used to come to our village on one day,  and Al Shabaab the next day. We were between them.'”

The local time of the incident is unknown.