Controversial strikes hit both Afghanistan and Somalia in September, with allegations of civilian casualties and friendly fire incidents.
Several Afghan officials said that two strikes killed eight policemen in Afghanistan on September 18. Another strike on September 28 killed 15 civilians, according to the UN.
Also on September 28, the US military announced it had killed nine al Shabaab in a “self-defence strike”. But Somali officials said that a US drone strike killed 22 soldiers and civilians in Somalia.
Fifteen civilians were killed and 13 others were injured in a US drone strike in Achin district, Nangarhar province, according to the UN mission in Afghanistan. The US at first denied the civilian casualties but has since changed its position.
The Bureau is collecting data on individual strikes in Afghanistan, summarised above. However not all strikes are reported in open source material. The US Air Force publishes an aggregate summary of strikes in Afghanistan without any casualty information, which we have reproduced below. The figures for September will be released in October.
The Bureau’s timeline of events in the drone war in Afghanistan so far in 2016.
A database of all US strikes recorded by the Bureau in Afghanistan since 2015.
Four US strikes were recorded by the Bureau in Yemen, killing at least 15 alleged Al Qaeda members.
The Bureau’s timeline of events in the drone war in Yemen in 2016.
A database of all US drone strikes, air strikes and missile strikes recorded by the Bureau in Yemen since 2001.
US drones hit Somalia four times in September, killing at least 17, as the US air war against al Shabaab continued apace.
The first drone strike hit the country in January 2007. There were six more in the following seven years. There was a marked change in January 2015 – there have been 25 strikes since the start of last year.
A strike on September 28 has proven controversial – Somali officials claim it killed 22 local soldiers and civilians. The US denied this in an email to the Bureau but has since said it will investigate.
The Bureau’s timeline of events in the drone war in Somalia.
A database of all US drone strikes, air strikes and missile strikes recorded by the Bureau in Somalia since 2007.
There were no CIA drone strikes reported in Pakistan in September. The last strike was on May 21 2016.
The Bureau’s timeline of events in the drone war in Pakistan in 2016.
A database of all US drone strikes recorded by the Bureau in Pakistan from 2004 to the end of May 2016.
This Report originally appeared in The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.Original Link.