On Wednesday, 16 April 2025, everyone aboard at least two alleged al-Shabaab vessels were killed in the territorial waters of Somalia, in an airstrike declared by US Africa Command (AFRICOM) forces in collaboration with the Federal Government of Somalia. No civilians were officially reported as injured or killed in the strikes.

In a press release, US AFRICOM stated that they had conducted airstrikes against “advanced conventional weapons aboard a flagless vessel and a smaller supporting vessel”, in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, with the strikes occurring “inside Somalia territorial waters.” AFRICOM claimed that the weapons were being transported to al-Shabaab militants within Somalia, posing an “imminent threat” to US and partner forces in the region. Initial assessments stated that “no civilians were harmed” while the statement did not mention any casualties.

The Somalia Ministry of Information released a statement corroborating the details published by AFRICOM, terming the strike a “precision airstrike” that hit “an unflagged ship and a smaller support craft”, and that “all individuals aboard both vessels” had been killed in the strike, with “no reported civilian casualties.” Reuters added that the strikes hit “an unidentified and unflagged ship and smaller support vessels”, and along with other international and local media including AFP, Shabelle Media Network, SONNA, and Somaliland Standard, quoted the official press releases while reporting on the strikes. As the only indication of the number of casualties is the mention of “all” aboard a ship and a smaller vessel, or smaller vessels, had been killed, a range of 2-3 has been quantified to account for the uncertainty regarding the number of vessels and the number of people aboard each.

Hiiraan News noted that neither AFRICOM nor the Federal Government of Somalia disclosed the exact nature of the weaponry being transported on the vessels, adding that “prior intelligence has linked similar shipments to small arms, explosives, and electronic components used in attacks against Somali forces and African Union peacekeepers.” They also reported that while the exact location of the strike had not been disclosed, according to analysts it likely happened “along smuggling corridors in the Gulf of Aden or the Indian Ocean, where maritime arms trafficking networks tied to Al-Shabaab have previously been reported.”