Civilian Casualties

3 km away from Xiriiro, on the way to Hol Anod, Bari, Somalia

LOCATION

The US military carried out an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia in the vicinity of Xiriiro, Bari Region, killing one high value militant and at least one other alleged fighter. According to AFRICOM – which took the unusual step of publicly naming the target within 24 hours of the operation – the strike killed Abdulhakim Dhuqub, second

Summary

Garowle, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

The US military carried out an airstrike in Garowle, Lower Shabelle region, according to a press release issued by US Africa Command the following day. The release asserted that two terrorists were killed in the strike, and that one motorcycle was also destroyed. It further noted that AFRICOM currently assessed that no civilians were harmed

Summary

جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

The US military carried out an airstrike in Jilib, Middle Juba region, according to a press release issued the following day by US Africa Command. AFRICOM asserted that one terrorist was killed in the strike, and that it currently assessed that no civilians were harmed in the action. For the first time and in the

Summary

LOCATION

A US airstrike took place in Bayda governorate on March 29th 2019, one of two on that day, a US Central Command spokesperson later told New America. In a separate press release, US Central Command stated that all six declared US military strikes in March 2019 strikes had targeted AQAP in Bayda. There were no

A US airstrike took place in Bayda governorate on March 28th 2019, a US Central Command spokesperson later told New America – one of six declared strikes that month. One local source, Huna Al-Bayda, reported that “three senior al Qaeda leaders were killed in an [US] airstrike by a drone on the border between al-Bayda

Summary

Airstrike, Drone Strike

LOCATION

A US airstrike took place in Bayda governorate on March 26th 2019, a US Central Command spokesperson later told New America. In a separate press release, US Central Command stated that all March 2019 strikes targeted AQAP. There were no other known local reports of a strike on that day according to our Arabic-language researchers,

Summary

LOCATION

A confirmed US airstrike took place in Bayda governorate on March 25th 2019, one of two on that day, a US Central Command spokesperson later told New America. According to a later CENTCOM press release, all US strikes in March 2019 targeted AQAP in Bayda governorate. Multiple sources reported at the time that a drone,

Summary

Airstrike, Drone Strike

LOCATION

Summary

Airstrike, Drone Strike

Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)

LOCATION

Anbar, Al Anbar, Iraq

In an incident previously not tracked by Airwars, the Coalition later confirmed the death of one civilian and the injury of another near Anbar, Iraq. This was later confirmed to be a US action. As CJTFOIR’s June 2019 civilian casualty report noted: “Coalition forces engaged in a small arms fire event. Regrettably, one civilian was

Summary

Small arms and light weapons

Laantabuur or Abdow Dibile, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

Up to four civilians were killed in a US strike in the Lower Shabelle region, international media and investigating NGOs reported from the ground, though US Africa Command claimed that the strike had only killed three “terrorists.” It later again officially denied causing any civilian casualties. Initially, allegations of civilian harm came from a Reuters

Summary

3 – 4

(3–4 men)

0–1

3 named, 1 familiy identified

1–4

الباغوز, Al Baghouz, Deir Ezzor, Syria

LOCATION

As the SDF sought to take control of Al-Baghouz, the last ISIS territorial stronghold in Syria, local sources reported on what was referred to as a significant “massacre” in which between 160 and 300 civilians including 45 children were alleged killed by Coalition airstrikes according to local sources. However, Central Command has only admitted to killing

Summary

4 – 300

(1–45 children)

Malayle, between Bar Sanguni and Jamame, Lower Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

US Africa Command stated in a press release issued the following day that it carried out an airstrike in the vicinity of Malayle, Lower Juba region on March 13th 2019. AFRICOM stated unusually that it had carried out “a collective self-defense airstrike,” explaining that “Somali National Security Forces (SNSF) were conducting a presence patrol in

Summary

Airstrike, Airstrike and/or Artillery, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)

الباغوز, Al Baghouz, Deir Ezzor, Syria

LOCATION

Local sources reported that an alleged Coalition airstrike struck Al-Baghouz camp on the night of March 13th. Sources reported varying numbers of civilian deaths. Several sources reported that up to 100 civilians were killed in the airstrike. One source, Christian Turner, tweeted that 20 civilians were killed. All sources reported that most of the victims

Summary

(2–3 children2–3 women1 man)

20 – 100

3 named, 1 familiy identified

Huley, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

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

Summary

Airstrike, Airstrike and/or Artillery, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons, Unknown

دار السلام, Darusalaam, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

The US conducted a confirmed airstrike on March 11th 2019 in the vicinity of Dara Salaam near Awdegle, Lower Shabelle Region, in “self-defense”. AFRICOM stated at the time that the airstrike – which it said killed eight al Shabaab militants – “was conducted in support of Somali-led ground forces that came under attack from militants”

Summary

Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)

1 – 7

(1 woman1–6 men)

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons, Unknown

5 named, 1 familiy identified

Belligerents reported injured

0–2

near Qayyarah-West Airfield, Iraq, Nineveh, Iraq

LOCATION

In an event previously not tracked by Airwars, the Coalition later confirmed the injury of one civilian in an event near Qayyarah-West Airfield, Iraq. The Pentagon later confirmed this as a US action. In its May 2019 civilian casualty report, the Coalition noted: “Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally injured by Coalition small arms fire.” The

Summary

Airstrike and/or Artillery

مخيم الباغوز, Al Baghouz Fawqani, Deir Ezzor, Syria

LOCATION

In its monthly civilian harm report issued January 3rd 2020, the US-led Coalition conceded a self-reported civilian harm event in al Baghouz Fawqani on this date which killed one civilian. The event was previously untracked by Airwars. As the CJTFOIR report noted, “March 2, 2019, in Baghouz Faqwani, Syria, via self-report. Coalition aircraft conducted an

Summary

Airstrike and/or Artillery

Gal Hamurre, Hiiraan, Somalia

LOCATION

The Pentagon carried out a February 28th airstrike in Somalia that killed 26 terrorists in the vicinity of Hiran, according to a press release from US Africa Command issued the following day. The attack marked the third US action in four days in the same area. US Army Brig. Gen. Gregory Hadfield, US Africa Command

Summary

Suspected belligerent

Al-Shabaab

Shebeleey, near Belet Weyne, Hiiraan, Somalia

LOCATION

The US military carried out an airstrike in Somalia on February 25th that killed 20 terrorists, according to a press release from US Africa Command. US Army Brig. Gen. Gregory Hadfield, AFRICOM deputy director of intelligence, said in the released statement: “This precision airstrike successfully targeted an encampment from which al-Shabaab could stage, coordinate, and

Summary

23 miles east of Belet Weyne, Hiiraan, Somalia

LOCATION

A confirmed US action, striking approximately 23 miles east of Beledweyne in the Hiran Region, killed 35 militants while no civilians were harmed, an AFRICOM statement asserted the next day. The airstrike targeted armed al Shabaab militants “as they were transitioning between locations in a rural area”, the US command said. Marine Corps Maj. Gen.

Summary

حرمك, Kunya Barrow, Middle Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

A father and young child were reported killed in a US airstrike on the al Shabaab-occupied town of Kunyo Barrow. AFRICOM later admitted the deaths of two civilians along with three injuries in the event in its first quarterly civilian harm report of April 2020. US Africa Command first reported on February 24th 2019 that

Summary

(1 child1 man)

2 named, 1 familiy identified

Awdeegle, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

The Pentagon announced four airstrikes on February 23rd in a press release issued by US Africa Command. One of these airstrikes occurred in Awdeegle, 50 kilometres west of Mogadishu. The press release read: “These four airstrikes eliminated checkpoints and facilities used by al-Shabaab to collect illegal taxes to fund terrorist activities and to oppress the innocent

Summary

Dacaraha, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

A US airstrike targeted alleged al Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Dacaraha village, 50 km west of Mogadishu, a local source reported. Publicly AFRICOM said it had conducted two strikes near Kunyo Barrow that day, with others at Janaale and Awdhegle. The other Kunyo barrow strike – which hit the town itself – reportedly

Summary

0–2

القنيطرة, Al Qunaitra, Quneitra, Syria

LOCATION

Alleged Israeli airstrikes were carried out on Quneitra hospital on February 11, 2019. According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, “at 19.50 p.m., Israeli drones launched 4 missiles on Quneitra hospital and one of the points affiliated to the security guard forces, affirming that the damages were limited to materials.” A reporter also added that

Summary

Assad regime, Iranian military

Janaale, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

A joint night time operation at Janaale by Somali National Armed Forces and AFRICOM – including the reported landing of US forces – led to a number of al Shabaab casualties and possible damage to civilian homes. Although AFRICOM did not confirm the incident at the time, a later FOIA response did confirm the action.

Summary

Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)

Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Small arms and light weapons

Road between Araare and Kobon, Lower Juba, Somalia

LOCATION

US Africa Command reported that the previous day, it had carried an airstrike in the vicinity of Kobon, near the city of Kismayo. AFRICOM added that “at this time, it was assessed no civilians were injured or killed in either airstrike.” AFRICOM did not specify the number of belligerents killed, although AP reported that eight

Summary

8–32

Bariire, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

LOCATION

US Africa Command reported that it had carried out an airstrike on the previous day “in the vicinity of Bariire, Lower Shebelle Region, Somalia, on February 7, 2019.” According to the official statement, “This precision airstrike was executed after our Somali partners were engaged by al-Shabaab militants as they conducted an operation to disrupt al-Shabaab

Summary