The raid took place in the Dhiigta Margoos settlement, a rural village located between Banaaneey and Kamjaroon, around 60 kilometres west of Kismayo. The area is mainly inhabited by nomadic herding families.

Relatives said the victims were all members of one family.

They were identified as: Ahmed Salad Hassan, 45; his pregnant wife Bishaaro Osman Ibrahim, 39; their children Jecela Ahmed Salad, 14, Hamdi Ahmed Salad, 12, and Osman Ahmed Salad, 15; a relative Cabdow Osman Omar, 36; and their 95-year-old grandmother, Habibo Osman Mahamud.

According to videos obtained by Kaab TV and accounts from relatives, all seven were shot in the head.

#Kaab TV visited a hospital in Mogadishu where 17-year-old Mohamed Ahmed Salad is being treated after sustaining serious injuries in a raid on civilians in a rural village outside Kismayo last week.
The operation was reportedly carried out by U.S.-trained special forces in… pic.twitter.com/v6hX5weJ3w

— Kaab TV (@KaabTV) May 24, 2026

A 17-year-old family member, Mohamed Ahmed, was severely wounded and later airlifted to Mogadishu for medical treatment.

Harun Hafow, a relative who arrived at the scene, described the raid as “cruel and shocking.”

“If you see how the raid happened, it shows how cruel they were,” he said.

He said the family had recently moved to the area after fleeing worsening drought conditions in parts of the Jubba Valley in search of water and humanitarian assistance.

Further harm

Relatives also alleged that livestock belonging to the family, including goats, cows, and donkeys, were killed during the operation. Photographs from the scene reviewed by Kaab TV show dead animals scattered in the area.

Another relative, Gabey Hafow, said that when she arrived shortly after the attack, she found five young children left without parental care, aged between one and ten years.

“The U.S.-trained forces even did not spare the injured. Some were still bleeding and could have been saved. They did nothing at all,” she said.

At least five young children are now reported to be without parental care following the incident.

On 21 May, local lawmakers and elders from the Gaaljecel clan sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu demanding an explanation and an independent investigation into the raid.

The letter, signed by 17 elders and representatives and seen by Kaab TV, stated that civilians were clearly living in the settlement and alleged that the counterterrorism unit failed to properly verify targets before launching the operation.

It described the incident as a “severe breach” of both Somali law and international legal obligations, calling for accountability and reparations for the affected families.

The statement also warned “that indiscriminate operations risk undermining trust between communities and security forces”, adding that the Gaaljecel community had historically opposed extremist groups and supported state-building efforts.

“We remain committed to seeking justice through peaceful, legal, and constitutional avenues, but we demand that the government and international partners act with equivalent respect for the law,” the letter said.

Protests and detentions

Protests erupted in Kismayo on Thursday morning, with residents condemning the killings.

During the unrest, security forces briefly took custody of four individuals, including a seriously wounded teenager, his brother, a grandmother, and another relative. They were reportedly taken to a military facility inside Kismayo Airport before being released later the same day.

Jubaland security forces also dispersed demonstrations and arrested several members of the Gaaljecel clan who were demanding accountability for the incident.

The incident has renewed longstanding concerns about civilian casualties during counterterrorism operations in Somalia.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have previously documented cases in which airstrikes and ground raids allegedly killed civilians during operations targeting Al-Shabaab militants.

The post Seven Civilians from One Family Killed in U.S.-Trained Somali Forces Raid Near Kismayo, Relatives Say appeared first on Kaab TV.