Somali and U.S. military officials are investigating the results of an operation conducted in southern Somalia early Friday, amid confusion about whether the attack killed civilians or al-Shabab militants.

The U.S. Africa Command said in a statement it was "aware of the civilian casualty allegations near Bariire, Somalia. We take any allegations of civilian casualties seriously, and per standard, we are conducting an assessment into the situation to determine the facts on the ground."

The Somali government initially said that eight al-Shabab fighters had been killed at a farm in a joint operation by the Somali National Army and "international partners."

The statement said, "Al-Shabab started shooting at SNA forces after our soldiers entered the farm. The individuals shooting at the SNA soldiers were al-Shabab fighters; they were not farmers." Read the statement

The government later said, "It appears that there were different security operations that took place in the area."

"We also understand that there are civilian casualties in which the federal government is investigating to find out the truth about this," said the government.

Local denials

Local officials and relatives denied the victims were al-Shabab members. Officials in the Lower Shabelle region said 10 civilians, including children, had been killed in the operation.

Binti Abdullahi Diriye said her brother was among those killed.

"My brother was a poor man who was a farmer; he leaves behind nine children and a pregnant wife," Diriye told VOA's Somali service. "My brother was killed unjustly. I want revenge for my brother and compensation for the orphans."

Mukhtar Moallim Abdi, who said his son had been killed in the operation, also told VOA that the victims were civilians. He denied there was any confrontation in the area at the time of the alleged killings.

"Bariire was attacked by the Americans. We are not al-Shabab members; we are farmers and there was no confrontation," he said.

The deputy governor of Lower Shabelle, Ali Nur Mohamed, supported the account given by the relatives. He said the victims were farm owners, workers and their children. He said one of the those killed was an 8-year-old boy.

"White forces together with a few Somalis have attacked the farm; they killed nine, including small children and adults," he said, adding the 10th person died on the way to the hospital.

The bodies of those killed were displayed at a Mogadishu hospital.

U.S. role

The U.S. Africa Command confirmed in an email message to VOA Somali that American forces had played a "supporting role" during the operation at the farm near Bariire.

A small number of U.S. military personnel are in Somalia to help combat al-Shabab and protect the government.

Bariire, 55 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, was captured by Somali government and AMISOM forces last Saturday from al-Shabab.

Witnesses told VOA Somali that on the day of the attack, they saw about a dozen white military personnel supporting Somali and African Union forces as the personnel moved into the city.

VOA</s>MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali forces supported by U.S. troops shot dead 10 Somalis, including three children, in a village near the capital Mogadishu on Friday, a witness and local officials told Reuters.

Relatives mourn the killing of their kin in an attack by Somali forces and supported by U.S. troops, at the Madina hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, August 25, 2017. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

The involvement of U.S. troops was confirmed by U.S. Africa Command, which said it was investigating reports of civilian casualties.

The Somali army initially said no civilians were killed and all the dead were members of the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militia, which is fighting to overthrow the weak U.N.-backed government and impose strict Islamic law.

It later issued a second statement saying some civilian casualties had been reported.

“We also understand that there are civilian casualties in which the Federal Government is investigating to find out the truth about this. We urge Somali people to cooperate fully with the Government on this matter,” the Somali army said.

The incident is likely to provoke questions in Washington about the growing U.S. footprint in the Horn of Africa nation, which has been torn apart by civil war since 1991. A U.S. Navy Seal was killed in Somalia in May, the first U.S. combat death there since 1993.

The White House has granted the U.S. military broader authority to carry out strikes in Somalia against al Shabaab, in the latest sign President Donald Trump is increasing U.S. military engagement in the region.

But local elders said the keenness to engage left the U.S. open to being unwittingly drawn into clan feuds, stoking tensions between Somalis and the United States.

The village attacked, Bariire in Lower Shabelle, about 50 km (30 miles) from the capital, is at the center of a feud between two powerful and well-armed clans, lawmaker Dahir Amin Jesow said.

He said those killed were farmers who had armed themselves to defend themselves against the rival group.

FALSE TIP-OFF?

“The two clans who fought misinformed the U.S. forces,” he said, adding that one group may have tipped off security forces that the other side were insurgents.

Witness Warsame Wador told Reuters the dead were farmers who had been asleep when the raid began just before sunrise.

“It was this morning when white and Somali forces entered the farm. All the 10 people were asleep and I ran for my life,” he said. “As I ran away I could see four armored vehicles parked outside.”

Reuters viewed nine bodies at Madina hospital. An injured man later died, medical staff said. The dead children were eight, nine and 10 years old, said clan elder Abukar Osman Sheikh.

“They were sleeping in their farm when U.S. and Somali forces came into their farm and opened fire. Last year, the U.S. killed my people in Galkayo in a deliberate strike. We shall not bury them. We shall no longer tolerate it,” he said.

A September 2016 air strike in Galkayo killed at least 10 pro-government fighters, the U.S. has acknowledged.

Madina hospital was packed with people who said they were relatives of the dead. Insurgents do not typically accompany their dead to hospitals in the capital, which is controlled by the government.

“These dead bodies were innocent farmers,” Ali Nur, deputy governor of lower Shabelle region, told Reuters.

But the Somali National Army (SNA) issued a statement saying that eight insurgents had been killed in an operation carried out with “international partners”.

“The SNA carried out an operation this morning against a farm in Bariire with known al-Shabaab presence,” the statement quoted General Sheegow, commander of the 20th Brigade, as saying.

“Al Shabaab started shooting at SNA forces after our soldiers entered the farm. The individuals shooting at the SNA were al Shabaab fighters, they were not farmers.”</s>MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A Somalia official says a raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm has killed 10 civilians, including a child.

Ali Nur Mohamed, the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, told reporters in the Somali capital that the farmers were killed “one by one” after soldiers stormed the farm in Barire village on Friday.

He says a child and a woman are among the dead. He calls the attack a “real genocide.”

It is not clear which foreign forces are blamed for the attack. The U.S. military has stepped up efforts this year against the Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab, often in support of Somali forces.

The U.S. Africa Command did not immediately respond to questions.

Somali officials have displayed the victims’ bloodied bodies in the capital, Mogadishu.</s>MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The Latest on a deadly military raid in Somalia (all times local):

Somalia’s information ministry is now noting “civilian casualties” in a security operation after at first denying allegations that 10 people, including children, were killed.

A new and corrected statement says “it appears that there were different security operations” in the area. The original statement said eight al-Shabab extremists were killed in the operation early Friday in southern Somalia.

The U.S. military confirms it supported a Somali army operation and says it will look into the allegations of civilian deaths.

The U.S. military says it will look into claims that several civilians, including children, were killed in a U.S.-backed operation by Somalia’s army.

A statement by the U.S. Africa Command says it is aware of the “civilian casualty allegations” and is conducting an assessment into the situation.

The deputy governor of Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region says the raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm killed 10 civilians, including three children. The bodies have been displayed in the capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia’s information ministry says eight al-Shabab extremists were killed in the operation and no civilians were harmed.

The U.S. military confirms it was supporting Somali forces in an operation in an area where a local official says 10 civilians, including three children, were killed.

The U.S. Africa Command gives no further details on Friday’s operation. The U.S. this year has stepped up military efforts against the Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab.

The deputy governor of Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region says the joint raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm killed the civilians. The bodies were displayed in the capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia’s information ministry says eight al-Shabab fighters were killed in the operation and that no civilians were harmed.

A Somalia official says a raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm has killed 10 civilians, including a child.

Ali Nur Mohamed, the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, told reporters in the Somali capital that the farmers were killed “one by one” after soldiers stormed the farm in Barire village on Friday.

He says a child and a woman are among the dead. He calls the attack a “real genocide.”

It is not clear which foreign forces are blamed for the attack. The U.S. military has stepped up efforts this year against the Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab, often in support of Somali forces.

The U.S. Africa Command did not immediately respond to questions.

Somali officials have displayed the victims’ bloodied bodies in the capital, Mogadishu.</s>Somali forces supported by U.S. troops shot dead 10 Somalis, including three children, in a village near the capital Mogadishu on Friday, a witness and local officials told Reuters.

The involvement of U.S. troops was confirmed by U.S. Africa Command, which said it was investigating reports of civilian casualties.

The Somali army initially said no civilians were killed and all the dead were members of the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militia, which is fighting to overthrow the weak U.N.-backed government and impose strict Islamic law.

It later issued a second statement saying some civilian casualties had been reported.

“We also understand that there are civilian casualties in which the Federal Government is investigating to find out the truth about this. We urge Somali people to cooperate fully with the Government on this matter,” the Somali army said.

The incident is likely to provoke questions in Washington about the growing U.S. footprint in the Horn of Africa nation, which has been torn apart by civil war since 1991. A U.S. Navy Seal was killed in Somalia in May, the first U.S. combat death there since 1993.

The White House has granted the U.S. military broader authority to carry out strikes in Somalia against al Shabaab, in the latest sign President Donald Trump is increasing U.S. military engagement in the region.</s>MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The Latest on a deadly military raid in Somalia (all times local):

The U.S. military says it will look into claims that several civilians, including children, were killed in a U.S.-backed operation by Somalia’s army.

A statement by the U.S. Africa Command says it is aware of the “civilian casualty allegations” and is conducting an assessment into the situation.

The deputy governor of Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region says the raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm killed 10 civilians, including three children. The bodies have been displayed in the capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia’s information ministry says eight al-Shabab extremists were killed in the operation and no civilians were harmed.

The U.S. military confirms it was supporting Somali forces in an operation in an area where a local official says 10 civilians, including three children, were killed.

The U.S. Africa Command gives no further details on Friday’s operation. The U.S. this year has stepped up military efforts against the Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab.

The deputy governor of Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region says the joint raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm killed the civilians. The bodies were displayed in the capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia’s information ministry says eight al-Shabab fighters were killed in the operation and that no civilians were harmed.

A Somalia official says a raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm has killed 10 civilians, including a child.

Ali Nur Mohamed, the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, told reporters in the Somali capital that the farmers were killed “one by one” after soldiers stormed the farm in Barire village on Friday.

He says a child and a woman are among the dead. He calls the attack a “real genocide.”

It is not clear which foreign forces are blamed for the attack. The U.S. military has stepped up efforts this year against the Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab, often in support of Somali forces.

The U.S. Africa Command did not immediately respond to questions.

Somali officials have displayed the victims’ bloodied bodies in the capital, Mogadishu.</s>MOGADISHU, Somalia — Ten civilians, including three children, were killed in a raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm in southern Somalia, a deputy governor said Friday. The United States military confirmed that it had supported a counterterrorism operation in the area, and said it would look into the allegations.

The deaths raise questions about growing American military involvement in Somalia after President Trump approved expanded operations, often in support of Somali forces, against the Shabab, an extremist group linked to Al Qaeda.

The farmers were killed “one by one” after soldiers stormed into the village, Barire, early Friday, the deputy governor of the Lower Shabelle region, Ali Nur Mohamed, told reporters in the capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia’s Information Ministry at first said that the raid had killed eight Shabab fighters and that the extremists had begun shooting at Somali forces, adding that “no civilians were harmed or killed.” A corrected statement said that “it appears that there were different security operations” in the area.

Three children ages 8 to 10 and a woman were among the dead, the deputy governor said. Their bodies were laid out in a grassy courtyard, wrapped in blankets. Bodies of civilians, especially those killed in misdirected attacks, are often taken from remote areas to Mogadishu to draw media attention.</s>MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - Somalia's army chief says civilians, not extremists, were killed in a military operation Friday that both the United States and Somalia say they will investigate.

Ahmed Jimale Gedi told reporters on Saturday that the deaths in Barire village in Lower Shabelle region were the result of suspicion between the two sides.

He says he is shocked by the civilian deaths. The deputy governor of Lower Shabelle has said 10 civilians were killed, including three children.

Somalis observe bodies which were brought to and displayed in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. A number of civilians are dead after a raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm in Barire village in southern Somalia, according to the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

Somalia's government at first said al-Shabab extremists were killed but later noted civilian casualties.

The U.S. Africa Command has confirmed it supported an operation by the Somali army in the area.

President Donald Trump earlier this year approved expanded operations against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group in Somalia, often in support of Somali forces.</s>Ten civilians including three children have been killed in a raid by US-backed Somali forces on a farm in southern Somalia, a deputy governor said, as officials displayed victims' bloodied bodies in the capital.

The raid came as the US military steps up efforts against the Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab.

Somalia's information ministry said eight al-Shabab fighters were killed in the operation and that no civilians were harmed.

But Ali Nur Mohamed, deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, told reporters in Mogadishu the farmers were killed "one by one" after soldiers stormed the farm in Barire village.

Three children aged eight to 10 and a woman were among the dead, he said, calling the attack a "real genocide".

Their blanket-wrapped bodies were laid out in a grassy courtyard for display.

"These local farmers were attacked by foreign troops while looking after their crops," the deputy governor told reporters. "The troops could have arrested them because they were unarmed but instead shot them one by one mercilessly."

Al-Shabab, which has become the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa, holds vast areas of rural Somalia after being chased out of major cities in recent years by a multinational African Union force and Somali troops.

The group continues to threaten the fragile central government and carry out deadly attacks in neighbouring countries, notably Kenya.

Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump approved expanded military operations against al-Shabab, including more aggressive air strikes and considering parts of southern Somalia areas of active hostilities.

The US and Somalia in recent weeks said strikes have killed al-Shabab leaders responsible for planning and executing deadly attacks in Mogadishu, where high-profile areas such as hotels and military checkpoints are often targeted with deadly bombings.</s>MOGADISHU: Somali forces supported by U.S. troops shot dead 10 Somalis, including three children, in a village near the capital Mogadishu on Friday, a witness and local officials told Reuters.

"The Somalia National Army was conducting an operation in the area with U.S. forces in a supporting role," said a spokeswoman for U.S. Africa Command, without giving further details.
United States-supported Somali forces shoot and kill 10 Somalis, including three children, in Lower Shebelle's Bariire village near Mogadishu. While the Somalia government reports the other dead were members of the al Shabaab militia, Lower Shabelle deputy governor Ali Nur Mohamed says the victims were all civilians, farm owners, workers and their children. The U.S. Africa Command says they are investigating these civilian casualties reports.