Six months ago, a US drone attack on Jamaame, Somalia, killed at least 12 civilians, including eight children, making it the deadliest US airstrike for civilians in the country during either Trump administration. The US has never admitted the civilian deaths. The Guardian has pieced together the first detailed account of the massacre using photographs, video footage, X-rays of children's shrapnel injuries, and witness testimony.
The Attack
On 15 November 2025, shortly after 9am, Jamaame shuddered from a series of explosions. The home of Abdullahi Mohamed Abo Sheikh Ali, who was out tending his fields, was among those obliterated. His grandfather Mohamed found the bodies of his daughter-in-law Safiyo Hassan Abukar, who was heavily pregnant, and her children: Abdifatah, 10; Abdinasir, 7; Hussein, 6; and Abdurahman, 4. “Clothes and books were scattered on the ground, but I couldn't focus on them. I was in shock, standing before the bodies of my grandchildren. They were ripped to pieces,” Mohamed said.
Witness Accounts
Marian Haji Abdi Guled recalled her children returning from Qur'an school when the attack began. “All my children were lying on the ground covered in blood,” she said. Maryan Nur Buruji's pregnant stepdaughter was killed at the school, her two-year-old surviving by clinging to her mother. Mohamed Hassan Abdulle found his wife and 10-month-old daughter dead under the rubble. Gedow Ibrahim lost his daughters Maryan, 9, and Farhiyo, 7, and another daughter was injured.
US Policy Shift
The attack followed a Trump administration directive that dismantled safeguards governing drone strikes, removing the requirement for White House approval. Africom generals could now unilaterally sanction strikes, leading to a dramatic escalation: 123 airstrikes in 2025, more than six times the previous year. The US military stated the strike targeted al-Shabaab, but witnesses say the group had no presence in Jamaame.
Questions of Accountability
The US has refused to admit civilian deaths or launch an investigation. Africom's statement made no mention of civilians, and the US maintains a $3m annual budget for compensation but has paid nothing to Somali families. Witnesses described at least 15 explosions, with drones hovering low enough to be heard clearly. Experts question whether the attack was based on faulty intelligence or a disregard for civilian lives fueled by President Trump's derogatory rhetoric about Somalis.
Aftermath
Residents live in fear as drones continue to hover overhead. “We can't sleep because of the loud noise from the drone engines,” said Mohamed. The strikes have done little to curb al-Shabaab, which has intensified its threat. For the bereaved, there is no justice. “I need to know why my children were bombed as they returned from Qur'an school,” said Ibrahim.
