At night on Saturday, 1 March 2025, at least five alleged al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Ceel Baraf, Middle Shabelle, Somalia, were killed in two airstrikes declared by US Africa Command (AFRICOM) forces reportedly at the request of the Federal Government of Somalia. No civilians were officially reported as injured or killed in the strikes.

AFRICOM released a statement terming the strikes as “collective self-defense strikes”, with their initial findings claiming that “several” militants along with a vehicle had been “neutralized”, and that “no civilians were injured or killed.”

In a report published later in April, New America quoted AFRICOM as having detailed that the operation consisted of two airstrikes, and that as of April 3 2025, AFRICOM’s assessment reported the death of at least five alleged militants in the strikes.

Mustaqbal Media revealed that “intense battles and airstrikes” had been reported at night from the Ceel Baraf area, with local sources confirming that multiple clashes in the area involved Somali government forces, “organized local forces and al-Shabaab fighters.” This was “accompanied by aerial bombardments” that hit “militant key positions in nearby locations, including Cali Fooldheere”, with “the exact casualties resulting from these operations” remaining unclear. An image released by Mustaqbal Media shows an open area with sparse vegetation, and large smoke plumes rising in the distance, purportedly from the airstrikes. Caasimad Online noted that the Ceel Baraf area had reportedly been recently taken over by al-Shabaab militants, while KAAB TV reported that the “shelling was carried out by friends from Somalia who support the airstrikes.”

Radio Risaala quoted a statement from the Somali Government which claimed that a vehicle “loaded with explosives” had been destroyed in the airstrikes, and that the strikes were carried out “in cooperation with the Somali National Army and the US Forces of AFRICOM.” The statement also revealed that the airstrikes were carried out prior to a ground operation by Somali forces, with the strikes reportedly causing “various losses to al-Shabaab”, and that “many members of the group were killed.

Sources did not provide names or further details of those killed in the strike.