Incident date
February 2, 2015
LOCATION
Diinsoor, Bay, SomaliaAccording to a Freedom of Information response obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, this previously unknown US strike took place in Dinsoor, Somalia against an “al-Shabaab Named Objective”. It should be noted however that the last known declared US strike in Dinsoor prior to February 2nd 2015 was on January 31st 2015. There
Summary
Incident date
January 31, 2015
LOCATION
Diinsoor, Bay, SomaliaAt least four civilian casualties were reported injured or killed in a confirmed US attack on Dinsooor, though it was not clear if they were injured or killed. JSOC had targeted and killed Yusef Dheeqm, al Shabaab’s head of external operations in the drone strike. Rear Admiral John Kirby confirmed in two separate Pentagon press conferences
Summary
Incident date
January 31, 2015
LOCATION
Dugule, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA mystery airstrike reportedly killed between 40 and 60 alleged belligerents on January 31st 2015. Xinhua also reported that “scores of others were injured” in the attack, leaving it unclear whether those injured were civilians or militants. It was described by some as a US drone strike – thought the Pentagon denied this. Abdulkadir Mohamed
Summary
Incident date
December 29, 2014
LOCATION
سااكوو, Saakow, Middle Juba, SomaliaUp to three senior members of al Shabaab were killed by a US military drone in Saakow, Middle Juba, international media reported. There were no known reports of associated civilian harm. The US military said that an airstrike had targeted a “senior leader” of the al Shabaab militant group. Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency later
Summary
Incident date
September 1, 2014
LOCATION
Sablaale, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaIn this strike in Barawe, Lower Shabelle, up to six al Shabaab militants were killed, including the the group’s leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane (aka Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr or Ahmed Abdi Aw Mohamed), international and local media reported. There were no reports of civilian harm. The strike was the first known US attack in Somalia for some
Summary
Incident date
June 23, 2014
LOCATION
Kuday, Lower Juba, SomaliaAt least eight civilians were killed and as many as eight were wounded when fighter jets attacked the Somali village of Kudah, 160 kilometres southwest of Kismayo, a woman who had fled the village following the attack told the Kenyan group Journalists for Justice. According to the NGO: “Kudah, June 23, 2014. An elderly woman
Summary
Incident date
June 1, 2014
LOCATION
Farigow, 3 km west of Jilib, Middle Juba, SomaliaBetween one and five civilians, including women and children, were killed as the Farigow leper colony near Jilib, Middle Jubba was struck by unknown warplanes, international media reported. A woman living near the settlement told the Kenyan group Journalists for Justice that the colony was struck by jets by “mid 2014”, killing one person and
Summary
Incident date
January 26, 2014
LOCATION
Haway, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaTwo civilian children were reported killed and their father severely injured when a US military drone strike attack seemingly directed at nine al Shabaab members struck Hawai, Lower Shabelle, international and local media reported. The strike was said to have targeted and failed to kill Ahmed Abdi Godane. While there initially were no reports of
Summary
Incident date
November 1, 2013
LOCATION
جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, SomaliaFive children from a single family were killed in the town of Jilib, in Somalia’s Middle Juba region, when their house was razed by aerial bombardment from an unknown belligerent (possibly Kenya), according to residents interviewed by the group Journalists for Justice. According to the report, “A third set of strikes took place a few
Summary
Incident date
October 28, 2013
LOCATION
Dhaytubako, Middle Juba, SomaliaAt least two people, both reportedly al-Shabaab affiliated, were killed in a US drone strike on a vehicle in Jilib, Middle Juba region, international media reported. As of now, there are no reports about civilian harm. Senior al Shabaab commander Ibrahim Ali Abdi (aka Anta Anta) was killed in the attack, according to Abu Mohamed,
Summary
Incident date
October 5, 2013
LOCATION
Baraawe, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaAt least one and as many as seven al Shabaab militants were killed in a naval raid carried out by US forces in Barawe, Lower Shabelle, international media reported. There were no reports of civilian harm. It was not at first clear who was the target of the raid. Reports varied from an unnamed Chechen;
Summary
Incident date
June 1, 2013
LOCATION
جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, SomaliaDrones and helicopters reportedly attacked outside the town of Jilib, in Somalia’s Middle Juba region, killing three people and seriously wounding seven, according to locals interviewed by the Kenyan group Journalists for Justice. Of the three people killed, two were women and one an elderly man, and of those wounded, three were reportedly children. As
Summary
Incident date
January 12, 2013
LOCATION
Bulo Marer, SomaliaFrench commandos failed to a rescue a French spy held hostage by al Shabaab since 2009. Paris claimed the militants executed the captured secret service agent, known by his alias Denis Allex, during an assault by 50 Special Forces troops. However al Shabaab’s media wing said the hostage survived. Seventeen alleged militants were reportedly killed
Summary
Incident date
August 23, 2012
LOCATION
Mountains near Qandala, Bari, SomaliaAir strikes ‘reportedly from international forces’ targeted ‘a mountainous area near town of Qandala’ according to Garowe Online. However All Africa said that “Air strikes reportedly from a US military aircraft or naval ship on the coastal town of Qandala caused damage to many buildings in the town.” All Africa and Garowe Online said it
Summary
Incident date
February 24, 2012
LOCATION
K60, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaOne civilian man was possibly killed as a US drone struck and killed up to seven members of al-Shabaab at Kilometre 60 or K60, in Lower Shabelle, 60km south west of Mogadishu on the road to Marka/ Mercer, international media reported. The action came hours after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had told a
Summary
Incident date
January 21, 2012
LOCATION
Elasha Biyaha, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA British al Shabaab fighter, Bilal al-Berjawi, was killed by a US drone strike in or near the town of Elasha Biyaha, 15km south of Mogadishu, local and international media reported. There were no reports of civilian harm. Three missiles fired from a drone operated by JSOC killed British-Lebanese militant Bilal al-Berjawi, also known as
Summary
Incident date
January 21, 2012
LOCATION
Kismayo, Lower Juba, SomaliaIn this single-source claim, six people were allegedly killed as an airstrike carried out by US or Kenyan forces, struck near the al Shabaab stronghold of Kismayo, Sheikh Mohamud Abdi, a senior al-Shabaab commander, claimed to Reuters. It is not known whether the strike was by US or Kenyan forces. Kenya sent troops into Somalia
Summary
Incident date
November 14, 2011
LOCATION
Afgooye, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaTwo al Shabaab leaders were possibly killed in an alleged US or French-launched air or drone strike in Afgoye, Lower Shabelle, local and international media reported. No sources reported civilian harm. Missiles were fired at a training camp in Afgoye, Lower Shabelle, according to al Shabaab. An initial report from the Suna Times stated: “US
Summary
Incident date
October 30, 2011
LOCATION
Jilib, SomaliaOctober 30 2011 ♦ 5-15 killed ♦ 5 civilians reported killed, including 3 children ♦ 45-47 reported wounded A refugee camp for those displaced by the severe drought was hit in a Kenyan air strike. Aid agency Medecin Sans Frontieres (MSF) reported the strike hit at around 1.30pm. The agency’s employees witnessed the strike on
Summary
Incident date
October 23, 2011
LOCATION
Kismayo, Lower Juba, SomaliaAt least one al Shabaab militant was reportedly killed as Shabaab positions in Kismayo, Jubaland, were subject to aerial shelling, international and local media reported. There was disagreement about whether the US, France or Kenya were to blame A local resident told Reuters: “A jet bombarded an al Shabaab base near the port. It dropped
Summary
Incident date
October 22, 2011
LOCATION
Afmadow, Lower Juba, SomaliaIn this single-source claim, Somalia Report reported that at least 11 civilians died and more than 20 others were wounded after a possible US drone attacked Afmadow town in Lower Juba region. An eye witness, Mohamud Abdirahman, told Somalia Report: “I have seen 11 bodies and we believe that it was a US airstrike.” Locals
Summary
Incident date
October 13, 2011
LOCATION
10 km east of Taabta, Lower Juba, SomaliaIn this single-source allegation, civilians were reported as possibly harmed following attacks on an al Shabaab base near Taabta village, Lower Juba, Somalia Report reported. It was not clear who was behind the actions. Somalia Report reported that drones had targeted an al-Shabaab base used to train new fighters. Its source cited TFG military official
Summary
Incident date
October 6, 2011
LOCATION
Dolbiyow, 35 kilometers east of Dhobley, Lower Juba, SomaliaFour Somali farmers were reported to have been killed in a possible drone strike in Dolbiyow Village, 35km east of Dhobley according to Somalia Report, while one was reportedly injured. The farmers and their camels were killed moments after al-Shabaab fighters fled the area in vehicles, witnesses said. However, a TFG official told Somalia Report
Summary
Incident date
September 25, 2011
LOCATION
Kismayo, Lower Juba, SomaliaThe United States launched a series of drone attacks on al-Shabaab in Kismayo, according to residents, who reported strikes on three locations. The BBC reported that “At least three targets were hit around Kismayo, the southern port which is under the control of the militants. One reconnaissance drone is reported to have crashed… al-Shabaab are patrolling the
Summary
Incident date
September 15, 2011
LOCATION
Kismayo, Lower Juba, SomaliaA single source reported that nine civilians died in alleged US drone strikes on Kismayo. According to the source Antiwar.com, “Eyewitnesses in the southern Somali port city of Kismayo have reported a number of missile strikes, apparently fired by US drones in and around the city. Terrified residents say that several loud explosions were heard
Summary
Incident date
July 6, 2011
LOCATION
Afmadow, Lower Juba, SomaliaIn this single-source allegation, an unknown number of people were reportedly killed or wounded in possible US strikes in Afmadow district, as reported by Somalia Report. The source did not mention whether the victims were combatants or civilians. According to Somalia Report, US drones or planes reportedly hit three al Shabaab militant training camps in
Summary
Incident date
June 28, 2011
LOCATION
Taabta, Lower Juba, SomaliaIn a news feature looking at drone strikes in Somalia, Somalia Report stated that on this day, “another [US] attack occurred in Taabta village in the Afmadow District of Lower Juba.” The report indicated that the target was al Shabaab. “AFRICOM does have terrorism in its list of applications and as of June JSOC’s hunter killers
Summary
Incident date
June 21, 2011
LOCATION
Kismayo, Lower Juba, SomaliaIn the first known lethal drone strike in Somalia, Predators struck a militant training camp 10km south of Kismayo. Further missiles reportedly hit a second target near the airport. At least one member of Al-Shabaab was killed – possibly “many” – and up to three were wounded, according to local and international media. There were
Summary
Incident date
April 3, 2011
LOCATION
Dhoobley, Gedo, SomaliaAt least one militant and as many as “three dozen” were killed in an alleged US-waged airstrike in Dhobley, Jubaland, international and regional media reported. The attack marked the beginning of a concerted campaign in Somalia against al Shabaab by the Obama administration. After a reporting gap of 18 months, US air attacks appear to
Summary
Incident date
September 14, 2009
LOCATION
مدينة ﺑﺮﺍﻭة, Baraawe, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaUp to six people, including at least one possible civilian, were killed and at least two possible civilians were wounded, as a US-launched raid targeted and reportedly killed a high value al Qaeda/ al Shabab member, Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, international media reported. The attack marked the first known lethal operation by US forces in