US Forces in Somalia

Library image of an armed Reaper drone, December 2019 (US Air Force/ Senior Sergeant Haley Stevens)

Belligerent
US Forces
Country
Somalia
start date
end date
Civilian Harm Status
Belligerent Assessment
Declassified Documents
Strike Status
Strike Type
Infrastructure

Incident date

June 16, 2023

Incident Code

USSOM391 KS002

LOCATION

Salagle, Middle Juba, Somalia

Two civilian women were killed and two children were injured by alleged Kenyan or United Arab Emirates or US airstrikes on Salagle in Middle Jubba on June 16, 2023. The Horn Observer reported that two civilians, a mother and her child, were killed and two other children sustained injuries from airstrikes on Salagle. A tweet

Summary

First published
June 16, 2023
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Contested strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
2
(2 women)
Civilians reported injured
2
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Suspected belligerents
US Forces, United Arab Emirates Military, Kenyan Military Forces
View Incident

Incident date

January 1, 2025

Incident Code

USSOM452b

LOCATION

Beerhani and Qudus areas, Lower Juba, Somalia

31 al-Shabaab militants were killed by alleged US airstrikes in support of the Somali National Army in the Beerhani and Qudus areas of Lower Juba, Somalia on January 1, 2025. The official Somali National Army Radio posted on Facebook announcing that “On January 1, an airstrike in the Beerhani and Qudus areas of Lower Juba

Summary

First published
April 11, 2025
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Suspected target
Al-Shabaab
Belligerents reported killed
31
View Incident

Incident date

November 14, 2011

Incident Code

USSOM019

LOCATION

Afgooye, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

Two 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

First published
November 14, 2011
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Contested strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
0
Suspected belligerents
US Forces, US Forces
Suspected target
Al-Shabaab
Belligerents reported killed
0–2
Belligerents reported injured
2–4
View Incident

Incident date

August 30, 2016

Incident Code

USSOM061

LOCATION

Gobanle, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

The 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

First published
August 30, 2016
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Counter-Terrorism Action (Ground)
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Belligerents reported killed
2
View Incident

Incident date

June 3, 2018

Incident Code

USSOM132

LOCATION

24 miles southwest of Bosaso, Bari, Somalia

US Africa Command told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) in July 2018 that it had carried out two strikes in early June – one previously undisclosed. The second took place on June 3rd, and targeted members of al Shabaab approximately 24 miles southwest of Bosasso, according to AFRICOM. “We currently assess no terrorists and

Summary

First published
June 3, 2018
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
0
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
View Incident

Incident date

January 7, 2019

Incident Code

USSOM178

LOCATION

Baqdaad, Lower Juba, Somalia

US Africa Command reported that the day previously, it had “conducted two airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Baqdaad, Somalia, on January 7, 2019.” AFRICOM stated that “At this time we assess no civilians were injured or killed in these airstrikes.” According to AFRICOM “four militants” were killed in the strikes. AFRICOM added

Summary

First published
January 7, 2019
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
0
Causes of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Unknown
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Belligerents reported killed
4
View Incident

Incident date

May 5, 2019

Incident Code

USSOM217

LOCATION

Vicinity of Tortoroow, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

The 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

First published
May 5, 2019
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
0
Causes of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions, Unknown
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Belligerents reported killed
3
View Incident

Incident date

August 10, 2017

Incident Code

USSOM086

LOCATION

Shashweyne, Banaadir, Somalia

According to a Freedom of Information request obtained by journalist Joshua Eaton in May 2019, this previously unknown US strike took place in the vicinity of Shashweyne, Bandir region, Somalia against al-Shabaab fighters. In its FOIA response, AFRICOM again confirmed it had targeted what it says were “AS fighters”, in the vicinity of Shashweyne, Banadir

Summary

First published
August 10, 2017
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
View Incident

Incident date

June 16, 2019

Incident Code

USSOM234

LOCATION

Vicinity of Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

The US military carried out two separate airstrikes targeting al Shabaab in the vicinity of Jilib, Middle Juba, according to a press release from US Africa Command. According to AFRICOM, “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab militants in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, on June

Summary

First published
June 16, 2019
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
View Incident

Incident date

February 2, 2020

Incident Code

USSOM274-C

LOCATION

Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

US Africa Command declared on the same day that it had conducted an airstrike “in the vicinity of Jilib” which it said had killed “one (1) terrorist.” However local reports said that one young woman was killed and two or three other women injured in the event in Jilib town, which AFRICOM later acknowledged. According

Summary

First published
February 2, 2020
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 child)
Civilians reported injured
3
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Confirmed
A specific belligerent has accepted responsibility for civilian harm.
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Named victims
4 named, 1 familiy identified
Belligerents reported killed
1
View Incident

Incident date

April 5, 2020

Incident Code

USSOM302

LOCATION

مبارك, Mubarak, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

Eight Al Shabaab militants were allegedly killed by three US strikes near Mubaraak. The AFRICOM press release said: “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted three (3) airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab terrorists in the vicinity of Mubaraak, Somalia, Apr. 5. The command’s initial assessment concluded these airstrikes killed eight (8) terrorists.

Summary

First published
April 5, 2020
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Suspected belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Belligerents reported killed
8
View Incident

Incident date

December 11, 2020

Incident Code

USSOM324

LOCATION

Jilib, Middle Juba, Somalia

Two US airstrikes reportedly killed between eight and ten Al Shabaab fighters near Jilib. Garowe reported: “Amid plans to withdraw from Somalia, the US Africa Command conducted two airstrikes on Thursday in the Horn of Africa nation, killing at least eight Al-Shabaab commanders linked to the manufacturing of explosives besides coordinating attacks in the country.”

Summary

First published
December 10, 2020
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
View Incident

Incident date

November 3, 2022

Incident Code

USSOM355

LOCATION

near the villages of Cadale, Mora-Erri, Garas Magan, and El Hareeri, Hiiraan, Somalia

Between eight and 200 al-Shabaab militants were killed by declared US airstrikes in support of Somali forces and/or Somali ground operations near the villages of Cadale, Mora-Erri, Garas Magan, and El Hareeri on November 3, 2022. AFRICOM released a statement two days later, on November 5th, that “In support of the Federal Government of Somalia’s

Summary

First published
November 3, 2022
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike, Drone Strike, Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Geolocation
Town
Belligerents reported killed
8–200
View Incident

Incident date

May 26, 2023

Incident Code

USSOM386

LOCATION

Vicinity of ATMIS forward operating base, Bulo Marer, 75 miles south-west of Mogadishu, South-eastern Somalia, Somalia

On the 26th of May, 2023, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against Al-Shabaab fighters in the vicinity of an ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission in Somalia) forward operating base in Bulo Marer, 75 miles southwest of Mogadishu, Somalia. To date, there have been no reports of civilian harm with regard to the airstrike, while a

Summary

First published
May 26, 2023
Last updated
December 15, 2024
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Known belligerent
US Forces
Known target
Al-Shabaab
Belligerents reported killed
5–10
View Incident