The U.S. armed forces claim they had no role in the purported demise of two Cuban medics, whom the al-Shabab insurgents assert were slain following an American air raid in Somalia this February.
The most recent civilian damage assessment report, released quarterly by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), verifies that American forces executed an airstrike near Jilib on February 15, but refutes the allegation that this strike led to the deaths of the doctors.
“On February 17, 2024, the command received a solitary report from an online media outlet claiming that two civilians perished due to a U.S. military action around Jilib, Somalia, on February 15, 2024,” the assessment stated.
“After meticulously reviewing available data, the command concluded that the U.S. airstrike on February 15, 2024, did not cause civilian casualties.”
Absent any evidence, al-Shabab previously announced that “the aerial attack” killed Assel Herrera and Landy Rodriguez. They had been detained by the militants since April 2019, after being kidnapped in Mandera County, northeastern Kenya.
