MOSCOW (Sputnik) — An attack carried out by Somalian and US forces in Lower Shabelle region of southern Somalia on Friday left 10 civilians dead, local media reported.
The raid targeted a farm near Bariire settlement, Garowe Online news outlet reported, citing Ali Nur Mohamed, the deputy governor of the Lower Shabelle Regional Administration.
"We don't know yet the cause behind the deadly attack by the allied troops [that] targeted the farm, which belongs to a local farmer named Hussein Tabliq and why they killed the civilians," the official said as quoted by the media.
According to the newspaper, local residents are calling on the federal government to investigate the incident.
"The Somali National Army, under the direction of Chief of Defense Forces General Ahmed Mohamed Jimaale, and our international partners conducted a security operation early on August 25 near Bariire, Lower Shabelle that resulted in the deaths of eight al-Shabaab [linked to Al-Qaeda terror group, banned in Russia] terrorists… No civilians were harmed or killed in this operation," the statement read.
According to the ministry, the operation targeted "a farm in Bariire with known al-Shabaab presence" while the farmers in the area had been forewarned and asked to "put their weapons in their homes to avoid confusion."
"Al-Shabaab started shooting at SNA forces after our soldiers entered the farm. The individuals shooting at the SNA soldiers were al-Shabaab fighters; they were not farmers," the statement read.
The United States Africa Command tweeted a link to the statement.
Somali Government statement regarding recent civilian casualty allegations — https://t.co/cmoTMobPRG pic.twitter.com/ws4tm0Z0i2
— US AFRICOM (@USAfricaCommand) August 25, 2017
