Incident Code

USSOM358

Location

Bulo Madina, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

Geolocation

3.06773, 45.54745
Accuracy: Village

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

15 al-Shabaab militants were reportedly killed by Somali forces and “international partner” airstrikes or ground operations near Bulo Madina on November 24, 2022.

Somali National Television posted on Twitter that 15 al-Shabaab militants were killed by an operation carried out by Somali security forces with the support of airstrikes from “international security partners” near Bulo Madina. @HarunMaruf added that the 15 militants killed had survived the operation the day before and were tracked down.

@GaroweOnline pointed out that no independent sources have been able to verify the government’s casualty claims.

While no sources directly implicated the US in the operation, the Somali government’s reference to “international partners” has in the past indicated US involvement but could also refer to Turkish involvement.

Key Information

Country
Strike Type
Airstrike, Ground operation
Strike Status
Contested strike
Civilian Harm Reported
No
Causes of Death / Injury
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention the village of Bulo Madina, for which the generic coordinates are: 3.06773, 45.54745. Due to limited satellite imagery and information available to Airwars, we were unable to verify the location further.

Military Statements

Somali Military Forces Assessment
Suspected belligerent
Somali Military Forces
Somali Military Forces position on incident
Not yet assessed
International Forces (Unknown) Assessment
Suspected belligerent
International Forces (Unknown)
International Forces (Unknown) position on incident
Not yet assessed