Library image of an armed Reaper drone, December 2019 (US Air Force/ Senior Sergeant Haley Stevens)
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
A 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,
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
In 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
Up to five people, including two reported civilians, were killed in a US military airstrike that hit in the vicinity of Jamaame, in Somalia’s Lower Juba region, international media reported. According to a US Africa Command press release, a US strike on al Shabaab killed four members of the group. VOA reporter Khadar Hared tweeted that
In 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
A US drone strike near Bariire on October 16th was confirmed by the US military. However, numerous allegations of civilian harm by international media have been denied. Whilst US Africa Command did not initially publish a press release regarding this strike, they confirmed to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism at the time that they carried
Two 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
One 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
One civilian was reportedly killed and another injured in a confirmed US airstrike in Baladul Rahma near Basra, Somalia according to a field investigation by Amnesty International – though US Africa Command continues to deny that any civilians were harmed. In a press release from AFRICOM issued at the time, it had said it carried
A 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
Up 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
A 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
US forces were involved in a “self-defence strike operation” with Somali National Army (SNA) forces “against an al Shabaab troop concentration” in the country’s south, according to an Africa Command (AFRICOM) press release. The statement did not include a casualty count, saying it “will continue to assess the results of the operation, and will provide
On December 27th 2017, AFRICOM reported that it had “conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab militants on the morning of Dec. 24, 2017, in southern Somalia”. AFRICOM made no mention of civilian harm. However, it claimed that the strike had killed “13 terrorists”. The strike hit southern Somalia according to officials, though no additional location details were provided
US forces carried out a strike approximately 40 kilometres northeast of Kismayo after al Shabaab fighters attacked Somali forces, according to a US Africa Command press release. Nine al Shabaab fighters were allegedly killed and another injured, the US command claimed. The press release said AFRICOM had assessed that no civilians were killed or injured
The US military carried out an airstrike targeting an al Shabaab fighter in Tortoroow, according to a press release issued two days later by US Africa Command. It was locally alleged that a named civilian public transport driver died in the attack. However AFRICOM later insisted thast the victim was “a high-level, al-Shabaab financier” and
The US military conducted an airstrike in self defence following a complex al-Shabaab attack on Baledogle Military Airfield (BMA) complex in Baledogle, US Africa Command reported. The strike and accompanying small arms fire killed 10 alleged terrorists, AFRICOM initially reported – thought this toll was later raised to 15. One US soldier was also injured,
In a press release issued on the same day, US Africa Command reported that it had targeted and killed a senior al Shabaab figure in the vicinity of Jilib, in Middle Juba. “At this time, it is assessed the airstrike killed one (1) terrorist. Strikes near Jilib disrupt al-Shabaab’s freedom of maneuver. The individual targeted
Two airstrikes were declared the same day by US Africa Command, in partnership with the Somali government, which reportedly targeted al Shabaab in the vicinity of Kunya Barrow. According to the AFRICOM press release, “In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two (2) airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab terrorists in the vicinity
Six civilians were allegedly injured after a US airstrike near Kunya Barrow. Somali Memo, a news outlet close to Al Shabaab, said: “Last night, Drone planes bombed a civilian residence in the town of Kunya Barrow. Sources say several missiles hit the home and injure four civilians, including a mother and three children. The injured
Several Al Shabaab militants were reported killed at Sakow in a military strike which several local sources claimed was a US drone action. However AFRICOM explicitly denied this in an email to Airwars, insisting that “U.S. Africa Command’s last airstrike in Somalia was conducted Jan. 19, 2021.” Geesguud initially reported: “Residents in Middle Jubba reported
At least seven civilians, including three children, were killed by alleged US drone strikes between Fidow and Qura’ley villages on January 30, 2023. Shabelle Media Network spoke with the deputy Mahas district commissioner who said that seven villagers, including children, were killed by a strike believed to have been carried out by the US. Residents
On the 24th of February, 2024, the Federal Government of Somalia released a statement claiming that attacks by Somali government forces and international partner forces, conducted early in the morning of the same day, had killed 30 Al-Shabaab militants at a meeting point in the village of Jilib Marka, in the Lower Shabelle region of
At 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
At 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
AFRICOM publicly reported that two days earlier, it had “conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab on the morning of March 19 near Mubaarak, Somalia”. The press release made no mention of civilian harm. However, AFRICOM claimed that the airstrike killed “two terrorists”, wounded another “three terrorists” and destroyed “one vehicle”. Voice of America reported the following:
A strike was said to have killed 15 members of al Shabaab and injured another 30, according to the official Somali National News Agency (SONNA). It was not clear whether US forces carried out the strike from the reporting, but US Africa Command said US forces had not carried out a strike on that day.
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
A total of 11 al Shabaab militants were killed as US forces conducted two airstrikes in the vicinity of Beled Amin South on December 19th, a US Africa Command press release claimed. According to AFRICOM, no civilians were harmed. The strike referenced here killed three militants and the second strike killed eight militants, the US