The investigation, published today, October 20, comes at a time when U.S. air operations in Somalia have surged significantly during Donald Trump’s presidency.

Data from U.S. Africa Command indicates that 84 airstrikes were carried out through late September 2026, while the New America Foundation recorded 88 airstrikes during the same period.

The investigation focused specifically on airstrikes and clashes in the vicinity of Jamame in November 2025, which local families stated caused deaths and injuries among civilians.

A woman named Maryan Haji Abdi Guled stated that three of her six children were injured in the airstrikes.

Her seven-year-old son, Abdulqadir Salah, suffered shrapnel wounds to his body, and the family struggled for a long time to access medical care.

The investigation also detailed the situation of Ali Aden Borow, who stated that his wife, who was nine months pregnant, and her unborn child were killed in the attack.

Another family, led by Nur Ali Nur, stated that his wife was permanently disabled from injuries sustained in the airstrikes.

A network led by the United Nations Refugee Agency documented the deaths of 12 civilians between November 16 and 18, 2025, while also reporting that 22,800 people were displaced from Jamame and nearby areas within three days.

AFRICOM told Al Jazeera that its assessment regarding reports claiming the deaths of 10 to 12 civilians and the destruction of homes and commercial properties found insufficient evidence to determine that U.S. operations likely caused those casualties.

Al Jazeera also raised questions regarding the targeting identification process. In another case in the Sanaag region, AFRICOM stated that it struck Omar Abdullahi, whom it described as an arms merchant for Al-Shabaab.

However, Puntland’s Criminal Investigation Department stated he had no criminal record, while Somalia’s Defense Minister questioned why he was targeted.

AFRICOM did not directly respond to questions from Al Jazeera regarding the evidence supporting the allegations against Omar or whether the decision to target him was re-evaluated.

The organization Airwars has documented at least 216 civilians killed or injured in U.S. airstrikes in Somalia between 2007 and late May 2025.

This figure is based on cases recorded by the organization and does not represent a total estimate of all casualties.

The investigation noted that the U.S. expanded authority for military commanders to approve airstrikes, while U.S. officials stated that operations target Al-Shabaab and the ISIS faction in Somalia.

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