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US forces accused of complicity in Somalia raid that left five civilians dead
Source: The Guardian
US forces accused of complicity in Somalia raid that left five civilians dead
Locals say unarmed men were banana farmers and were killed trying to flee during operation against al-Shabaab extremists
Jason Burke Africa correspondent
Thu 17 May 2018 06.00 BST
US special forces have been accused of complicity in the deaths of civilians after five unarmed men were killed during a raid by Somali troops last week that they “aided and assisted”.
The casualties were described as banana farmers by local inhabitants, and appear to have been shot while trying to flee the site of the operation, which officials say targeted commanders of the al-Shabaab extremist group.
Somali intelligence officials say three men detained in the raid on a village in the Lower Shabelle region were senior militants.
Mohamed Sheikh Mohamud, a farmer in the village of Ma’alinka, 37 miles south of Mogadishu, told the Guardian the operation started at about 1am last Thursday when “forces came down from a helicopter and started shooting the people in the farm”.
-snip-
Locals say unarmed men were banana farmers and were killed trying to flee during operation against al-Shabaab extremists
Jason Burke Africa correspondent
Thu 17 May 2018 06.00 BST
US special forces have been accused of complicity in the deaths of civilians after five unarmed men were killed during a raid by Somali troops last week that they “aided and assisted”.
The casualties were described as banana farmers by local inhabitants, and appear to have been shot while trying to flee the site of the operation, which officials say targeted commanders of the al-Shabaab extremist group.
Somali intelligence officials say three men detained in the raid on a village in the Lower Shabelle region were senior militants.
Mohamed Sheikh Mohamud, a farmer in the village of Ma’alinka, 37 miles south of Mogadishu, told the Guardian the operation started at about 1am last Thursday when “forces came down from a helicopter and started shooting the people in the farm”.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/17/somalia-us-special-forces-complicity-civilians-deaths