Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

USSOM458a

Incident date

February 21–22, 2025

Location

Caal Miskeed Mountains, Puntland, Somalia

Airwars assessment

Beginning at around 9pm on Friday through midnight into Saturday, 21st and 22nd February 2025, at least three alleged ISIS-Somalia militants were killed in two successive airstrikes declared by US Africa Command (AFRICOM) forces in collaboration with the Somali federal government. No civilians were officially reported as injured or killed in the strikes.

The official statement released by AFRICOM stated that the two strikes were conducted “in coordination with the federal government of Somalia” in the “vicinity of Dadar, Somalia”, and that according to their initial assessment three “ISIS-Somalia operatives” were killed, claiming “no civilians were harmed” in the strikes.

The Somali Ministry of Information corroborated this statement, adding that the strikes were carried out by the US Air Force on “the evening of February 21 and continued into February 22, 2025”, and claimed that no civilian casualties were reported, while stating that the results of the “ongoing operation” would continue to be evaluated and that new information would be released to the public when it became available.

The Puntland Post reported that the US forces carried out “a heavy airstrike last night in the Golis range”, and that the strikes hit caves that were alleged militant hideouts. They added that according to a statement put out by the Counter-Terrorism Operations Office of the  Puntland Defense Forces Command, the strike took place at around 9pm, with additional security sources quoted as saying the strike hit a “major ISIS” command post in “Gaatir-Oodan, located in the Jeceel valley in the Cal-miskaad mountains, where there are strong natural defenses.”

Various local news and social media corroborated and republished the official government statements.

Sources did not provide names or further details of those killed in the strike.

The local time of the incident is unknown.

Summary

  • 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
    ISIS - Somalia
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3

Sources (7) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (1) [ collapse]

  • Source: Ministry of Information of Somalia's

US Forces Assessment:

  • Known belligerent
    US Forces
  • US Forces position on incident
    Not yet assessed

Original strike reports

US Forces

In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted two airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia on Feb. 21 and 22, 2025.
The airstrikes occurred in the vicinity of Dadar, Somalia.
The command’s initial assessment is that three ISIS-Somalia operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed. Degrading ISIS and other terrorist organizations’ ability to plot and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our partners, and civilians remains central to U.S. Africa Command’s mission.
Specific details about the operation will not be released in order to ensure continued operations security.

Summary

  • 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
    ISIS - Somalia
  • Belligerents reported killed
    3

Sources (7) [ collapse]