Incident date
May 9, 2019
LOCATION
Farsooley, Lower Shabelle, Somalia“Multiple civilians” were alleged killed in a claimed US airstrike on Farsooley, according to reports which appeared to have originated with al Shabaab. AFRICOM publicly rejected the claim a year later. Hussein Mohamed, a local journalist stringing for the New York Times and others, tweeted on May 10th that “Al Shabab media reported that US
Summary
Incident date
May 9, 2019
LOCATION
Jamaame, Lower Juba, SomaliaAccording to local sources, an airstrike by an unknown party targeted a ‘foreign al Shabaab commander’ around dawn on May 9th 2019. According to Horn Globe, “A second huge blast was heard in Jamame town, around dawn. The target of the second air attack was al-Shabaab commander in charge of planning operations, a Somali intelligence officer
Summary
Incident date
May 8, 2019
LOCATION
جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, SomaliaAccording to local sources, an airstrike by an unknown party targeted a ‘foreign al Shabaab commander’ close to midnight on May 8th 2019. According to Horn Globe, “United States military has carried out at least two air strikes targeting al-Shabaab militant group’s bases in Jilib and Jamame town on Wednesday night, locals sources said. The first
Summary
Incident date
May 5, 2019
LOCATION
Vicinity of Tortoroow, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaThe US military carried out an airstrike in the vicinity of Tortoroow, according to a press release from US Africa Command issued the following day. AFRICOM asserted that three al Shabaab fighters were killed, and that it currently assessed that no civilians were harmed in the action. It further noted that the precision airstrike was
Summary
Incident date
May 5, 2019
LOCATION
جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, SomaliaThe Somali military said that double US strikes near Jilib town killed 16 al Qaeda and al Shabaab fighters, according to Radio Risaala. US Africa Command did not however publish a press release for this event – though it did report a strike on the same date near Tortoroow. Quoting an anonymous military official, Risaala
Summary
Incident date
April 26, 2019
LOCATION
Timirshe, Bari, SomaliaThe US military carried out an airstrike targeting ISIS-Somalia and possibly also al Shabaab in the vicinity of Timirshe, in the Golis Mountains. According to a press release from US Africa Command issued the following day, three fighters from the terrorist group were killed, with AFRICOM currently assessing that no civilians had been harmed in
Summary
Incident date
April 19, 2019
LOCATION
Vicinity of Jamaame, Lower Juba, SomaliaThe US military carried out an airstrike in the vicinity of Jamaame, Lower Juba Region, according to a press release issued the next day by US Africa Command. It was later reported that one of those killed had been responsible for the death of a US soldier in Somalia in June 2018. AFRICOM’s initial press
Summary
Incident date
April 11, 2019
LOCATION
Garowle, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaThe 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
Incident date
April 9, 2019
LOCATION
جيليب, Jilib, Middle Juba, SomaliaThe 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
Incident date
April 4, 2019
LOCATION
Ugunji, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA ground operation struck a minibus carrying civilians, killing one woman and injuring up to six others, local media reported. While one source claimed that the attack was conducted by drone, others said it was a ground operation, involving Somali and possibly also US troops. AFRICOM later denied responsibility for civilian harm on the grounds
Summary
Incident date
March 22, 2019
LOCATION
Bu'aale, Middle Juba, SomaliaA reported precision airstrike by an unidentified aircraft at Buaale, Middle Juba was said to have killed up to 50 fighters with local Al Qaeda affiliate al Shabaab – along with a named senior leader. The event was first reported by Kenyan media – though reports did not identify which nation had conducted the alleged
Summary
Incident date
March 18, 2019
LOCATION
Laantabuur or Abdow Dibile, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaUp 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
Incident date
March 15, 2019
LOCATION
Jilib Marka, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA Mareeg Media report from March 16th 2019 asserted that US-backed Somali forces had carried out an “air and ground operation” near Marka Town in Jilib Marka, 91km southwest of Mogadishu. Citing anonymous Somali military officials, Mareeg said that “at least” 22 “militants” were killed in the operation, including ‘senior al Shabaab commanders’ Abu Yasin
Summary
Incident date
March 13, 2019
LOCATION
Malayle, between Bar Sanguni and Jamame, Lower Juba, SomaliaUS 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
Incident date
March 12, 2019
LOCATION
Huley, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaUS 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
Incident date
March 11, 2019
LOCATION
دار السلام, Darusalaam, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaThe 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
Incident date
March 7, 2019
LOCATION
Gamboole, Middle Shabelle, SomaliaAccording to local reports a US airstrike, carried out as part of a land and air operation, was conducted in the Gambole area killing up to eight alleged Al-Shabaab fighters on March 8th. Two civilians were also reportedly killed in the strike and four more injured, Voice of America said. According to Mareeg: “U.S. forces
Summary
Incident date
March 7, 2019
LOCATION
Bur Madow area, Bay, SomaliaA possible US or Kenyan airstrike was conducted in the Bur Madow area, Bay region according to Mareeg Media. The article, published a day after the alleged strike, did not state if anybody had been killed. According to Mareeg: “Unknown fighter jets carried out an airstrike targeting Al-Shabaab foreign fighters in south west of Somalia. The
Summary
Incident date
March 6, 2019
LOCATION
Busaar/Waraha Kakuma, Gedo, SomaliaA possible US or Kenyan airstrike at Buusaar or Waraha-Kakuma left “scores” of al Shabaab fighters dead, according to local media sources. A regional official who asked Mareeg to remain anonymous, told the local news organisation that the strike had destroyed al Shabaab’s base in ‘Buzer, west Somalia.’ The report did not note how many
Summary
Incident date
February 28, 2019
LOCATION
Gal Hamurre, Hiiraan, SomaliaThe 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
Incident date
February 25, 2019
LOCATION
Shebeleey, near Belet Weyne, Hiiraan, SomaliaThe 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
Incident date
February 24, 2019
LOCATION
23 miles east of Belet Weyne, Hiiraan, SomaliaA 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
Incident date
February 23, 2019
LOCATION
حرمك, Kunya Barrow, Middle Juba, SomaliaA 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
Incident date
February 23, 2019
LOCATION
Awdeegle, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaThe 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
Incident date
February 23, 2019
LOCATION
Dacaraha, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA 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
Incident date
February 23, 2019
LOCATION
Qoryoley near Janaale, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaAn adult woman was reported killed by an alleged US attack on Qoryole, according to the Turkish news organisation TRT – an event it dated to before midnight on February 23rd 2019. Despite conducting four strikes in the near region that day. AFRICOM later insisted that “no U.S. military strike took place at the alleged
Summary
Incident date
February 11, 2019
LOCATION
Tuwaareey, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaUS Africa Command initially reported that it had carried out two airstrikes in the vicinity of Janaale in the lower Shabelle region. AFRICOM stated that “the first airstrike on February 11 had killed eight militants and the second airstrike killed four militants” with a total of 12 killed. AFRICOM added that “at this time, it
Summary
Incident date
February 10, 2019
LOCATION
Janaale, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaA 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
Incident date
February 8, 2019
LOCATION
Road between Araare and Kobon, Lower Juba, SomaliaUS 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
Incident date
February 7, 2019
LOCATION
Bariire, Lower Shabelle, SomaliaUS 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