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Africa Horn

AFRICOM denies US airstrike killed Cuban doctors

2024-06-14

[SHABELLEMEDIA] The U.S. military says it was not involved in the reported killing of two Cuban doctors whom the al-Shabaab
... the personification of Somali state failure...
bully boy group alleges died as a result of a U.S. ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
<del>Arclight</del> airstrike

...KABOOM!...
in Somalia in February.

The latest quarterly civilian harm assessment published by U.S. Africa Command, also known as AFRICOM, confirms that U.S. forces conducted an airstrike near the town of Jilib on February 15, but denies the strike resulted in the doctors’ deaths.

"On Feb. 17, 2024, the command received one (1) report of an online media source stating two (2) non-combatants were killed as a result of a U.S. military operation in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, on Feb. 15, 2024," the assessment read.

"The command completed a review of available information and assessed that the U.S. airstrike conducted on Feb. 15, 2024, did not result in civilian harm."

Without providing proof, al-Shabaab at the time said "the aerial bombardment" killed Assel Herrera and Landy Rodriguez. The two had been in the bully boys’ custody since April 2019, when they were kidnapped from Mandera County in northeastern Kenya.

The doctors were part of a medical team sent to Kenya by Cuba. al-Shabaab published an image purporting to show the body of one of the hostages. VOA Somali has not independently confirmed whether the Cuban doctors have died.

In addition, AFRICOM says it has completed an assessment of two other incidents this year — one January 25 in the vicinity of Galhareeri in Galmudug
...a semiautonomous region in central Somalia, bordering Puntland on the north. Galmudug is not trying to obtain international recognition as a separate nation, but rather considers itself autonomous within the larger Somali federalism, for what that's worth...
state and February 22 in Kurtunwaarey in Southwest state. U.S. airstrikes were blamed for causing multiple civilian injuries and fatalities. AFRICOM said the assessments determined that there were no U.S. military operations at the times and places reported.

AFRICOM said it had one open case in this quarter and information on it will be disclosed later this year.

"U.S. Africa Command takes all reports of possible civilian harm seriously and has a process to conduct thorough reviews and assessments using all available information," the assessment said. "The command remains committed to reviewing and assessing any reports of civilian harm."

Posted by:Fred

#1 I think I don't have enough salt.

a review of available information

Five(5) years ago, two(2) bad guys(?) doing humanitarian work(?) were snatched by other bad guys, poss to tend to the health needs of those bad guys(of the second). They've been kept alive due to the value of their work(?).

Now somebody dies in a bombing, or a body was found, that may have been one of the doctors, but identification of scattered parts is difficult.

And apparently, the US only uses 'anti-badguy-military' ordinance, according to the AFRICOM news denier.

While digital-bits are small and plentiful, in analysis of the (non)event, considerably more bio-bits (already in short supply) have been wasted considering this report.

Posted by: Skidmark 2024-06-14 06:40

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