Geolocation
Airwars assessment
One Al Shabaab fighter was allegedly killed and two more injured by a US airstrike near Jilib.
AFRICOM confirmed conducting the strike two days later, one of a pair that day: “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two (2) airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab terrorists and a compound in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, Feb. 6. Initial assessments conclude one (1) al-Shabaab facility was severely degraded, and two (2) al-Shabaab terrorists were wounded as a result of these two airstrikes. We currently assess no civilians were injured or killed as a result of these airstrikes.”
Somali state media SONNA said that this strike – which it said occurred in the evening – took place within the city of Jilib. A second strike targeted al Shabaab fighters outside the town, it said.
Halqaran and Garowe also mentioned one dead and two injured.
The incident occured in the evening.
Geolocation notes
Reports of the incident mention a strike in the vicinity of Jilib (جيليب) town, for which due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further. The coordinates for Jilib are: 0.494527, 42.777868
Summary
Sources (18) [ collapse]
Media
from sources (5) [ collapse]
US Forces Assessment:
Original strike reports
In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two (2) airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab terrorists and a compound in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, Feb. 6.
“Airstrikes are one way we help prevent al-Shabaab from building a safe haven to plan deadly attacks against the U.S. homeland and East African partners,” said U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Bradford Gering, deputy director of operations, U.S. Africa Command.
Al-Shabaab is the most kinetically-active al-Qaida affiliate worldwide. Al-Shabaab’s network indiscriminately commits acts of violence and is responsible for the deaths of innocent Africans, Western allies, and American citizens.
Initial assessments conclude one (1) al-Shabaab facility was severely degraded, and two (2) al-Shabaab terrorists were wounded as a result of these two airstrikes.
We currently assess no civilians were injured or killed as a result of these airstrikes.
U.S. Africa Command will continue to work with its partners to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia to the Federal Government of Somalia and its Member States. In support of the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. forces will use all effective and appropriate methods to assist in the protection of the Somali people, including partnered military counterterrorism operations with the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali National Army forces.