Incident date
September 28, 2016
LOCATION
Jehdin, 30 km east of Galkayo, Mudug, SomaliaA US drone strike on September 28th killed at least ten members of a local friendly militia and not al Shabaab militants as the US had initially believed, according to local communities and an investigation by the Washington Post. Between three and 16 additional members of the Galmadug militia were injured. At least one source,
Summary
Incident date
September 26, 2016
LOCATION
Caba, Lower Juba, SomaliaThe US reported in a press release published on September 27th that it had conducted a “self-defence strike” in Caba near Kismayo the previous day, killing four al Shabaab fighters . The press release said that a group of armed al Shabaab fighters attacked the Somali force and their US advisors. The Somali forces returned
Summary
Incident date
September 10, 2016
LOCATION
سااكوو, Saakow, Middle Juba, SomaliaAccording to a Freedom of Information response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, this previously unknown confirmed US strike took place in the vicinity of Saakow, Somalia against an unspecified “al-Shabaab Named Objective”. This incident was not previously publicly known. No further details are currently available.
Summary
Incident date
September 5, 2016
LOCATION
Tortoroow, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaThe US reported two days after the event that it had conducted two “self-defence strikes” on September 5th against al Shabaab, killing four militants. According to an AFRICOM press release, the strikes hit near Tortoroow and were conducted in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia after a Somali-led counter-terrorism operation came under attack. Garowe
Summary
Incident date
September 5, 2016
LOCATION
Tortoroow, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaThe US reported two days after the event that it had conducted two “self-defence strikes” on September 5th against al Shabaab, killing four militants in total. According to an AFRICOM press release, the strikes hit near Tortoroow and were conducted in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia after a Somali-led counter-terrorism operation came under
Summary
Incident date
August 30, 2016
LOCATION
Gobanle, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaThe US reported that it had conducted a “self-defense strike” against al Shabaab in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia in a press release published on September 7th. It said the strike hit near Gobanale and had resulted in the deaths of two al Shabaab militants. The press release reported that during a Somali-led
Summary
Incident date
August 10, 2016
LOCATION
Saakow, Middle Juba, SomaliaUS forces helped Somali commandos in an operation in southern Somalia that killed several members of al Shabaab, a Pentagon official said on August 16th. The operation took place on August 10th. Somali forces approached an al Shabaab checkpoint. The terrorists reportedly opened fire and a gun battle ensued. “US advisers accompanied the Somali-led force,
Summary
Incident date
July 24, 2016
LOCATION
El Adde, Gedo, SomaliaLocal residents said jets bombed an al Shabaab camp near El Adde in Gedo region late at night on Sunday July 24. The attack hit the same area that 100 Kenyan peacekeepers were killed in January 2016 when al Shabaab forces overran their base. It was attributed to the Kenyan Defence Force with the Pentagon
Summary
Incident date
June 21, 2016
LOCATION
South-central, Bay, SomaliaThe US conducted “a self-defence strike against al Shabaab, killing three” in southern Somalia, describing the action as having “provided defensive fires to protect U.S. troops from imminent threats posed by the terrorist group al-Shabaab.” A statement from US Africa Command (Africom) issued at the time said “the operation was conducted after it was assessed
Summary
Incident date
June 11, 2016
LOCATION
Galgala, Bari, SomaliaUnidentified jets struck what were described as “al Shabaab hideouts” in Galgala in the northern autonomous region of Puntland, according to a local report. Garowe Online said the strikes – carried out by warplanes “launched from a carrier at sea” – hit militants in their bases along the Golis Mountain Ranges in Puntland, northern Somalia.
Summary
Incident date
May 31, 2016
LOCATION
Farwamo, near Bulogadud, Lower Juba, SomaliaUp to 16 al Shabaab fighters died in an operation reportedly carried out by Somali forces with US support, multiple sources said. The US claimed at the time that at the time that Somali forces alone were responsible for the kinetic actions. However, a FOIA response obtained in 2019 confirmed that the US had in
Summary
Incident date
May 27, 2016
LOCATION
جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, SomaliaA statement from the Pentagon said an airstrike in south-central Somalia had targeted Abdullahi Haji Daud – but initially did not confirm whether Daud had been killed. However on June 8th, Africom announced a “final assessment” which concluded “Daud was struck and killed in the airstrike”. There are currently no reports of civilian harm. It
Summary
Incident date
May 13, 2016
LOCATION
Southern Somalia, Bay, SomaliaIn June 2016, the US reported that six weeks earlier it had struck a group of al Shabaab fighters, killing three. According to the AFRICOM statement released on June 27th 2016, “U.S. forces supporting the Federal Government of Somalia, the Somali National Army and troop contributing nations to the African Union Mission in Somalia, provided
Summary
Incident date
May 12, 2016
LOCATION
Sabiid, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA US air strike reportedly killed five people – all of them said to be al Shabaab fighters. The attack was defensive and conducted to protect African troops on the ground, an Africom spokesperson told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The Ugandan soldiers, part of the African Union peacekeeping force Amisom, were attacking a makeshift
Summary
Incident date
May 9, 2016
LOCATION
Tortoroow, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaKenyan and Somali forces, and their US advisors, carried out a raid on an al Shabaab checkpoint in Toratorow. The US carried out an airstrike during the operation – though initially denied doing so. Media reports said helicopters were involved, indicating that both US air and ground forces were participating. However a US spokesperson denied
Summary
Incident date
April 11, 2016
LOCATION
1.2 km east of Yontoy, Lower Juba, SomaliaThree civilians were reportedly killed in a US drone strike in Lower Juba. The attack began late on April 11 and continued into the small hour of April 12, Lt Col Michelle Baldanza of AFRICOM later said in a statement. The camp “posed an imminent threat to US personnel,” she said. Somali officials allege the
Summary
Incident date
April 6, 2016
LOCATION
جيليب, Al Shabaab police station and vicinity in Jillib, Middle Juba, SomaliaThe US carried airstrikes in self-defence in Jillib, Middle Juba, as reported by local media. According to one local tweet, the attack took place at night in Jilib. Mogadishu News claimed that eight militants were killed when an al Shabaab police station was struck – noting “civilian houses razed by the strikes.” UPDATE: Drone strikes
Summary
Incident date
April 2, 2016
LOCATION
Lower Juba, SomaliaThis was the second of two strikes confirmed by the Pentagon on April 4th 2016. The attack was a “self-defence air strikes against al Shabaab fighters who posed imminent threats to US and partner nation forces in Somalia,” Department of Defense spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Michelle Baldanza told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Earlier on April 4th,
Summary
Incident date
April 1, 2016
LOCATION
Buufow, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaAt least four and up to 23 al Shabaab fighters were reported killed in a US airstrike at Buufow, near Janaaale. However more than three years later, one civilian fatality was also alleged. Two US actions on April 1st and April 2nd were later said to be “self-defence air strikes against al Shabaab fighters who
Summary
Incident date
March 31, 2016
LOCATION
Between Jilib and Kamsuuma, Middle Juba, SomaliaA US drone strike targeted a vehicle carrying three al Shabaab figures in southern Somalia. The attack hit in the early evening and killed a senior al Shabaab leader, Hassan Ali Dhoore, according to the Pentagon. There were additional reports that two other militants were killed alongside Hassan Ali Dhoore. There are currently no reports
Summary
Incident date
March 8, 2016
LOCATION
Awdheegle, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaAt least 19 alleged militants were killed in a joint operation between US and Somali forces in the village of Awdhegle. US attack helicopters supported US and Somali Special Forces who attacked an al Shabaab target in southern Somalia, the Pentagon and Somali officials said. The assault took place overnight. The soldiers flew on US
Summary
Incident date
March 5, 2016
LOCATION
Raso camp, Hiiraan, SomaliaUS drones and jets reportedly killed between 150 and 200 alleged members of al Shabaab in a strike on a training camp in Somalia, 120 miles north of Mogadishu. There are currently no associated reports of civilian harm. The total killed could in fact be higher. The district governor for Buloburte told the BBC’s Somali
Summary
Incident date
December 22, 2015
LOCATION
Shanta Ameriko, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA US drone strike reportedly killed Abu Ubaidah, leader of al Shabaab, as well as four other fighters. The US told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: “We are aware of the media reports but have no information on the incident.” However two named Somali officials asserted that it was a drone attack. Ubaidah replaced Ahmed Abdi
Summary
Incident date
December 2, 2015
LOCATION
Kunyo-Barow, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaAt least three alleged members of al Shahaab were killed in an airstrike against Kunyo-Barow village. The US action killed Abdirahman Sandhere, a senior al Shabaab fighter, the US Defence of Department (DoD) declared, along with two other suspected members of the group. There are currently no reports of civilian harm from this strike. The
Summary
Incident date
November 29, 2015
LOCATION
Yasooman, Ceeldheer, Ceel Lahelay, Hiiraan, SomaliaUnidentified jets reportedly bombed three villages – Yasooman, Ceeldheer and Ceel Lahelay in the central Hiiraan region – all described as being under al Shabaab control. There were no reported casualties. According to All Africa: “An official says unidentified military jets bombed Al shabaab bases in the Somali region of Hiiraan on Sunday, the latest
Summary
Incident date
November 22, 2015
LOCATION
Balad Amiin, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA US strike targeted an al Shabaab base in Balad Amin in southern Somalia, killing between five and 10 of the group’s fighters. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported at the time that the US confirmed it carried out an airstrike “at approximately 4pm Eastern Time” – 1am November 22 local time – in defence
Summary
Incident date
July 15, 2015
LOCATION
Baardheere, Gedo, SomaliaA US drone strike allegedly killed “a senior commander and other members” of al Shabaab. Two or three people were reportedly killed by the drones – with an artillery barrage from Kenyan troops followed up the air attack according to the Los Angeles Times, and reportedly killing 50 ‘militants’. This was the first of six
Summary
Incident date
July 15, 2015
LOCATION
مدينة ﺑﺮﺍﻭة, Baraawe, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaAt least five US drone strikes hit in the space of three days killing an undisclosed number of people. They were reportedly carried out in support of African Union troops who were advancing on Baraawe, an al Shabaab stronghold since 2009. The strikes reportedly hit between the attack reported on July 15th and July 18th,
Summary
Incident date
March 12, 2015
LOCATION
Abaq Xaluul, Bay, SomaliaA US Special Forces drone strike allegedly killed Adan Garaar, a senior member of al Shabaab, according to the Pentagon and Somali and Kenyan officials. The attack reportedly destroyed one or two vehicles in southwestern Somalia, killing two other alleged members of the group. There are currently no reports of civilian harm from this strike.
Summary
Incident date
March 10, 2015
LOCATION
Tortoroow (and Ambereso), Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA single news source reported that “unidentified armed drones” targeted two alleged al Shabaab camps. Witnesses said the attacks hit camps in the towns of Torato and Ambereso. The regional governor Abdikadir Mohamed Nur confirmed the strikes but said the death toll had not been confirmed, although the terror group had sustained “human and material