US admits killing civilians in deadly Somali airstrike

An assessment report by United States Africa Command has confirmed that an airstrike by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) military operations in the Horn of Africa country killed two civilians and injured three others early last year.

A statement from US Africa Command said on Monday that two civilians were killed and three injured during the attack.

The statement adds that the same attack killed two members of the Islamist militant group, al-ShababAl-Shabab’s senior commander feared killed in Somali air strike.

Amnesty International says the air strike killed a banana farmer and an employee of a telecoms company.

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“Regrettably two civilians were killed and three others injured in a [23] February 2019 airstrike,” said Gen Stephen Townsend, the head of US Africa Command.

The air strike was carried out in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region and the report said the intended target – two members of the Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group, were killed.

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