Somalia: Drone Strike Hits Lower Shabelle region; Civilian Casualties reported

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A drone strike was reported in Lower Shabelle, in the latest crackdown that may have left civilian casualties, but authorities in Somalia have yet to take responsibility for yet another attack against civilians.

According to reports, which are yet to be independently verified, the drone strike occurred on Tuesday in Akunji village, located within Janaale district in the Lower Shabelle region. The area, which is under the control of Al-Shabaab militants, frequently witnesses airstrikes targeting the group’s positions.

Most of these drone strikes are conducted by international partners supporting the Somali government in its fight against the Al-Shabaab militant group. The US Africa Command is particularly heavily involved in the airstrikes.

In most cases, the US Africa Command does thorough research before hitting its target, but previously, there have been cases of mistaken identity, leaving dozens of people either dead or critically injured.

For instance, a local elder, Omar Abdullahi Abdi,  was killed in a US airstrike on 13th September because he was trafficking weapons to both Al-Shabaab and ISIS, a claim which had been strongly disputed by close relatives who visited the scene of the air raid.

The US army struck Abdi's vehicle with a missile at the Ji’anyo area between Elbuh and Badhan in Somalia’s Sanag region. Witnesses said he was traveling alone at the time of the attack, with the impact of the airstrike manifested in the destruction of the vehicle.

The U.S. Africa Command said in a statement that Abdi was a “weapons dealer for al-Shabab.” However, both his family and al-Shabab denied the allegation, calling it baseless.

Critics have questioned how AFRICOM obtained its intelligence and who authorized the strike, noting that Abdi was unarmed and could have been detained peacefully if he were suspected of wrongdoing.

Tuesday's airstrike is yet to be confirmed, but the US Africa Command, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), and local troops have often targeted the Al-Shabaab fighters in their perceived strongholds.

GAROWE ONLINE