Amnesty International calls for war crime probe after Turkish drone strike kills 23 civilians in Somalia

Rights group Amnesty International released a report on Tuesday, stating that airstrikes by Somalia’s military using Turkish drones killed 23 civilians, including 14 children. They called for a full investigation into potential “war crimes.”

The airstrikes, which took place on March 18th, hit a farm near Bagdad village in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region. The attack resulted in the deaths of 14 children, five women, and four men. An additional 17 civilians were injured, including 11 children, two women, and four men. All casualties belonged to the marginalized Gorgaarte clan.

According to Amnesty, residents reported that the drone strikes followed heavy fighting on the ground between Al-Shabaab and Somali security forces.

Investigators interviewed a dozen individuals, including victims, relatives, and witnesses. They also analyzed satellite imagery and weapon fragment photos to confirm the use of Turkish-made bombs and TB-2 drones.

Amnesty called on both the Turkish and Somali governments to investigate the incident.

“The Somali and Turkish governments must investigate these deadly airstrikes as potential war crimes and end reckless attacks on civilians,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.

Amnesty further stated they had sent letters to the governments of Somalia and Türkiye requesting details about the March 18th operation, including which military controlled the drone at the time of the attack. Neither government responded by the time of publication.

Türkiye maintains the largest overseas military base in Somalia, known as Turksom. They have also been supplying drones to Somali forces fighting the Al-Shabaab armed group.

Drone strikes and air operations by multiple countries, including the US, Kenya, and now Türkiye, have resulted in civilian casualties in Somalia in recent years. These governments have failed to take responsibility for civilian safety during these operations. Analysts further question the effectiveness of drone strikes in Somalia, citing their low success rate in targeting intended combatants and the devastating toll they take on civilians.