Airstrikes Reported on Al-Shabaab-Held Jamame as Somali Forces Advance
KISMAYO, Somalia — Multiple airstrikes struck the Al-Shabaab-held town of Jamame in Lower Jubba on Friday, local sources and witnesses said, coming during a coordinated operation that included ground actions by the Somali National Army (SNA) and allied regional forces.
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What happened
Residents and local media reported a series of precision strikes on positions in Jamame. Some accounts identified the strikes as being carried out with support from the US Africa Command; the command has not publicly confirmed involvement. Regional officials said the strikes followed security operations in nearby forested areas north of Kismayo carried out earlier in the day.
Casualties and damage
Local witnesses and sources in Jamame told reporters that at least 10 civilians were killed in the strikes, including eight children. Witnesses said homes and businesses were destroyed. These casualty figures and damage reports have not been independently verified by international monitors.
Official responses
Regional officials said federal and Jubaland regional forces returned to their camps after the strikes. Jubaland forces have been active alongside the Somali National Army in efforts to dislodge Al-Shabaab from strategic locations in Lower Jubba, officials and analysts say.
Context
The US Africa Command has in the past conducted and supported strikes against Al-Shabaab in Somalia at the request of Somali authorities; some previous operations have been linked with civilian deaths, and only a limited number of cases have resulted in compensation, according to past reporting. Al-Shabaab continues to contest control of territory and to carry out attacks against the fragile, UN-backed federal government.
International and independent confirmation of the latest strikes, combatant losses and civilian casualty figures was not available at the time of reporting. Local sources warn of continued operations in the area and potential displacement of civilians.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
