MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – US military said on Friday civilians were injured and killed during an operation against Al-Qaeda-aligned militant group Al-Shabaab in a rural area in central Somalia’s Galgadud region.
The operation jointly conducted by the US military and Somali army took place in Odweyne village in the central region on September 6, which resulted in the killing of three Al-Shabaab operatives, according to AFRICOM.
“The command’s initial assessment is that three al Shabaab leaders were killed as a result of the operation, and unfortunately, civilians were injured and killed in the vicinity of the operation,” the US Africa Command said in a statement.
“The claim being spread by al Shabaab that U.S. forces caused the unfortunate harm to civilians is false,” it added.
Media affiliated with Al-Shabaab reported that 6 civilians, including four children were killed in an air strike conducted by the US military, adding that American forces landed on the ground and took away the bodies in an attempt to “conceal” the truth.
Videos of relatives saying that the civilians were killed by US forces have been circulated on social media, though Somali government and Galmudug regional administration have not yet given any comments.
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