A US airstrike in southern Somalia that killed at least 12 civilians, including eight children, in November 2025 has raised renewed questions over the consequences of American military operations targeting armed groups in the country.

The strike took place in Jamaame, a town in Somalia’s Lower Juba region, on the morning of Nov. 15, according to accounts gathered from residents and reviewed evidence from the attack site. The United States has not publicly acknowledged civilian deaths from the operation.

Residents said the attack began shortly after 9 a.m. when aircraft were heard above the town. Witnesses described a series of explosions that struck residential areas and a religious school, leaving homes damaged or destroyed.The victims included children who had been returning from Qur’an school, families inside their homes, and a pregnant woman, according to relatives and witnesses.

The US military confirmed that it had conducted an operation against al-Shabaab, an armed group linked to al-Qaida that has carried out attacks in Somalia and neighbouring countries. The strike was part of a wider campaign of US air operations aimed at disrupting the group.Residents said the aircraft involved were likely drones.

The weaponry used in the attack was not publicly disclosed, but witnesses described repeated missile strikes consistent with the use of remotely piloted aircraft.At one home in Jamaame, relatives said the attack killed Safiyo Hassan Abukar, who was heavily pregnant, along with her children Abdifatah, 10, Abdinasir, 7, Hussein, 6, and Abdurahman, 4.Mohamed, the children’s grandfather, said he rushed to the scene after hearing explosions and found debris scattered around the destroyed house.

He said Abdifatah was often close to his mother and helped her with household tasks. He described Abdinasir as a child who regularly asked him to pray so he could memorise the Qur’an.Other residents reported similar losses.

Marian Haji Abdi Guled said her children were returning from Qur’an school when the attack occurred. She said the sound of aircraft overhead caused fear among residents before the strikes hit.According to Guled, her children were injured when missiles struck nearby.

She said the area became chaotic as residents attempted to move away from the attacks.Maryan Nur Buruji said her pregnant stepdaughter sought shelter at the Qur’an school with her two-year-old child. She said the school was later hit, killing the woman while the toddler survived.

Another resident, Mohamed Hassan Abdulle, said he returned to find his home destroyed and his wife, Farhiyo Hassan Nuur, and their 10-month-old daughter, Layla, dead.Farmers working outside the town also described receiving urgent calls from relatives as the attack unfolded.Gedow Ibrahim said he was working in his sesame fields when his wife called, warning him that drones were flying overhead.

He told her to remain inside, but later received another call saying their home had been hit.He said his daughters Maryan, 9, and Farhiyo, 7, were killed, while another child, Amin, 8, was injured by shrapnel.The attack also killed other residents, including a local imam, according to witnesses.

Residents said at least 15 explosions were heard and that numerous homes were damaged. Witnesses estimated that about 18 houses were destroyed, while the school was heavily damaged.The incident is among the deadliest reported civilian casualties from a US operation in Somalia in recent years.

Previous major incidents involving US forces in Somalia include the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, known as “Black Hawk Down,” which resulted in significant casualties during a failed US military mission.The strike occurred months after the start of the second Trump administration, during a period when US policy toward Somalia was being reassessed.

In early 2025, US defence officials held discussions with senior officers from US Africa Command, which oversees American military operations on the continent.A directive issued during that period changed procedures governing aspects of US military operations, according to reporting on the policy shift. The effect of those changes on individual operations was not publicly detailed.

US officials have repeatedly said American military action in Somalia is aimed at preventing attacks by al-Shabaab and reducing the group’s ability to operate. The group has controlled territory in parts of Somalia at various times and has carried out attacks against civilians, government forces, and international targets.

Human rights organisations have previously raised concerns about civilian harm from airstrikes in Somalia and other conflict zones, calling for greater transparency around targeting decisions and investigations into possible civilian casualties.The Jamaame strike has renewed scrutiny over the balance between counterterrorism operations and civilian protection in areas where armed groups operate among local populations.

For the families affected, the consequences remain centred on the loss of relatives who were inside homes, travelling from school, or working nearby when the strikes occurred.Abdullahi Mohamed Abo Sheikh Ali, whose family was killed, said he believed civilians had been caught in the attack.

“The Americans bombed us,” he said. “Children, women and elders were bombed. They spared nothing.”

Kyiv’s military administration said four people were killed and 23 wounded in the capital, including a child, after overnight attacks involving ballistic missiles and waves of Shahed drones.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said five emergency responders were killed in Kharkiv after they were hit by a second strike while battling a fire caused by an earlier attack. At least five other rescuers were wounded.

Authorities said powerful explosions were reported across Kyiv overnight, with civilian infrastructure heavily damaged. Several strikes hit residential areas in the city’s Shevchenkivskyi district, including a 25-story apartment building, while a market and grocery store also caught fire.

A nine-story residential building in the Obolonskyi district was also damaged after being directly hit.

Kyiv officials accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian areas, while Moscow has continued to carry out long-range missile and drone attacks during the ongoing war.

The strikes also caused major damage at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Ukraine’s most important religious landmarks.

Officials said a major fire broke out at the historic monastic complex, while Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, said the roof of the Dormition Cathedral was damaged.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, dates back to the 11th century and includes churches, monasteries and underground caves. It has long been considered a major religious and cultural center in Eastern Europe.

The latest attacks came as Russia and Ukraine remain locked in a war that has entered its fifth year, with Moscow continuing strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

The ministry said the total number of deaths since the start of the conflict had reached 73,001, according to Zaher Al-Waheidi, head of its records department, and Hamza Salem from its public relations department.
Five Palestinians were killed over the weekend, including two in the southern city of Khan Younis and one in central Gaza, while two others died from earlier injuries, the ministry said.

More than 173,200 people have been wounded since the war began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said an Israeli strike on Saturday evening killed two Palestinians in Khan Younis, with the casualties taken to Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led administration, is staffed by medical professionals and keeps detailed casualty records that United Nations agencies and independent experts have generally considered reliable. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its overall figures.

The ministry has said women and children account for around half of those killed.

Israel says it seeks to avoid civilian casualties and accuses Hamas of operating in densely populated areas. The Israeli military says its operations target militants and are conducted in response to security threats and alleged violations of the ceasefire.

The US-brokered ceasefire agreement reached in October halted large-scale military operations and resulted in the release of remaining hostages.
However, implementation of other parts of the agreement has stalled, with disagreements over Hamas disarmament and Israeli troop movements.

Both sides have accused each other of violating the deal while maintaining that it remains in force.
Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire began.

The attacks began on Wednesday evening and continued into Thursday, targeting residential neighborhoods, a funeral gathering and a truck transporting food supplies in the strategically important city in North Kordofan state, according to the Emergency Lawyers group.

The organization, which has documented alleged abuses during the conflict, blamed the strikes on the RSF. The claims could not be independently verified, and the paramilitary force did not immediately comment on the allegations.

Residents described extensive destruction across parts of the city, with homes damaged or destroyed and casualties transported to local hospitals.

One witness in the Al-Matar district in eastern El-Obeid said several houses collapsed after being hit, trapping residents beneath the rubble. Another resident told AFP that a relative was among those killed and that he had seen multiple bodies brought to a nearby medical facility.

A medical source said two children and a woman believed to be their mother were among the dead.

El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, has been partially surrounded by RSF forces for months and remains a key strategic center linking western and eastern Sudan. Control of the wider Kordofan region is viewed as critical because it connects RSF-held territories in Darfur with areas controlled by the Sudanese army.

Drone warfare has become an increasingly significant feature of Sudan’s conflict since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the military and the RSF. The use of unmanned aerial attacks has expanded as both sides seek to strike targets beyond front-line positions.

According to United Nations figures, at least 880 civilians were killed in drone strikes across Sudan between January and April this year.

Military operations have intensified in Kordofan and neighboring Blue Nile state in recent months, particularly following the RSF’s capture of El-Fasher in October 2025, ending the army’s hold on its last major stronghold in western Darfur.

The broader conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 11 million and triggered what the United Nations has described as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.

Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov said Russian forces struck the city of Chuguiv overnight, killing four people, including a 22-year-old woman, and causing extensive damage to residential areas.“The enemy has hit the city of Chuguiv,” Synegubov wrote on Telegram, adding that the attack sparked fires, damaged at least 18 vehicles and shattered windows in multi-story apartment buildings.

Separately, Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said 10 people were wounded in strikes on the regional capital, one of Ukraine’s most heavily targeted cities because of its proximity to the Russian border.The latest attacks come amid a sustained escalation in aerial warfare between Russia and Ukraine.

Russian missile and drone strikes have intensified in recent months, while Kyiv has expanded its own long-range drone operations against targets deep inside Russian territory, saying those attacks are primarily aimed at military and energy infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort.

Kharkiv region has remained a focal point of the conflict, with repeated attacks on civilian and industrial facilities despite international calls for greater protection of non-combatants.According to United Nations estimates published in April, at least 15,850 civilians have been killed in areas under Ukrainian control since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. The UN said more than 2,800 civilians have also been killed in Russian-controlled territories.

The organization reported that more than 44,800 people have been wounded across Ukrainian-controlled and Russian-occupied areas since the start of the war.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine has shown signs of easing military operations, with both sides continuing regular drone and missile attacks as fighting persists along multiple sectors of the front line.

The attacks occurred between May 31 and June 3, coinciding with voting in Ethiopia’s parliamentary elections on June 1, which the OLA had previously threatened to disrupt. While authorities confirmed the incidents and blamed the insurgent group, they did not provide an official casualty figure.

Witnesses in Arsi zone told AFP that OLA fighters attacked the village of Eleta Chefa on multiple occasions, killing residents and forcing thousands to flee. Two residents said they personally knew 11 people who were killed during the assaults.

A medical worker who treated victims from several affected communities said he had counted 56 deaths and approximately 50 injuries linked to attacks across multiple localities during the four-day period. The figures could not be independently verified because access to conflict-affected areas remains heavily restricted and official information has been limited.

One survivor said armed militants used rifles to target residents, adding that Orthodox Christians, whom attackers allegedly viewed as sympathetic to the federal government, were among those targeted. He also said Muslims who attempted to protect their neighbors came under attack.

The witness estimated that as many as 3,000 people, including women, children and elderly residents, fled the area following the violence. Another resident said Eleta Chefa was attacked twice, on May 31 and June 1, and reported extensive destruction of homes, crops and livestock.

The medical worker said many displaced residents remained scattered across forests, churches and relatives’ homes, complicating humanitarian assistance efforts. He described treating injuries caused by rifle fire, heavy weapons and sharp-edged weapons.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office issued a statement on Friday expressing condolences to victims and their families, while reaffirming the government’s position that the attacks were carried out by the OLA.

The OLA rejected accusations of responsibility in a statement posted on X, instead accusing government authorities of fueling communal violence in the region.

The violence highlights the continuing instability in parts of Oromia despite the federal government’s broader efforts to consolidate control following years of conflict across Ethiopia. The OLA, which the government has designated a terrorist organization, has expanded significantly since 2018 and remains one of the country’s most active insurgent movements.

Although the group is not considered capable of threatening the federal government directly, it has repeatedly been linked to deadly attacks and insecurity across Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest regional state.

Official election results have yet to be announced, though Prime Minister Abiy’s Prosperity Party is widely expected to secure another commanding victory, extending its dominance of Ethiopian politics despite ongoing security concerns in several parts of the country.

The deadliest incident occurred in Gaza City, where a drone strike hit the Jawazat camp for displaced Palestinians, killing eight people and wounding 15 others, according to the civil defense authority, which operates under the Hamas administration.

Al-Shifa Hospital said it received the bodies of eight victims from the strike. The Israeli military confirmed it had carried out an operation in the area, stating that it had targeted militants but providing no further details.

In southern Gaza, a separate strike killed 25-year-old Muhannad Othman Farwana in Khan Younis, according to civil defense officials and medical personnel at Nasser Hospital, who said several wounded people were also brought to the facility.

The Israeli military identified Farwana as a commander of a Hamas military cell and said he was killed in a precision strike. Hamas did not immediately comment on the allegation.

Relatives said the strike hit a tent erected on the roof of Farwana’s family home shortly before his scheduled wedding ceremony. Family members had been preparing for the celebration when the attack occurred, according to his cousin, Mohammed Farwana.

Later on Saturday, civil defense officials reported another fatal strike in southeastern Gaza City that killed a 37-year-old man.

The latest violence comes despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025 following more than two years of war triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Although large-scale hostilities have diminished, both Israel and Hamas continue to accuse each other of almost daily violations of the truce agreement.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas and whose casualty figures are regularly cited by United Nations agencies, at least 951 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began. The Israeli military has reported five fatalities among its personnel during the same period.

Independent verification of casualty figures and battlefield claims remains difficult because of restrictions on media access and movement within Gaza. International news organizations, including AFP, have said they are unable to independently verify many reports from the territory.

The continued exchange of strikes and accusations has raised concerns about the durability of the ceasefire, even as international mediators seek to prevent a return to full-scale conflict in the enclave.

The ministry said 25 Azerbaijani nationals were among the crews of the vessels struck in Taganrog Bay, adding that neither ship belonged to Azerbaijan.

Earlier, Ukraine said its drones had hit five vessels in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk and in nearby coastal waters under Russian control.

Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s drone forces, said the targeted ships included dry cargo vessels and a tanker allegedly involved in transporting military cargo, fuel and Ukrainian grain.

The attacks mark one of the deadliest incidents involving foreign civilian crew members in the conflict’s maritime zone this year.

Pakistani officials said the attack occurred on Sunday when a bomber drove an explosives-laden vehicle into a shuttle train carrying security personnel and their families, derailing several coaches and triggering extensive destruction in nearby civilian areas.

The separatist Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the bombing, the latest in a string of militant attacks in Balochistan, a strategically significant province bordering Iran and Afghanistan that hosts key Chinese-backed infrastructure projects including Gwadar port.

As rescue teams and residents continued clearing debris ahead of the Eid holiday, many families said celebrations had given way to grief and financial hardship.

“I appeal to the government to help me. My entire house, from top to bottom, has been destroyed,” said Hishrat, a resident whose home was severely damaged in the blast. She said the family had spent years saving money to build the property.

The explosion damaged homes, overturned vehicles and shattered nearby buildings, according to local authorities and images broadcast from the site. Officials said the train’s engine and several coaches were derailed in the attack.

Markets in Quetta remained active with Eid shoppers and livestock traders, but residents in the affected neighborhoods said the destruction had made holiday preparations impossible.

“People are roaming in the markets for Eid shopping and for purchasing animals for sacrifice, but for us, you see our condition,” said Muhammad Haseeb, a private-sector employee whose house was damaged in the blast.

“We are busy cleaning up our destroyed house. The explosion destroyed our entire neighborhood including our house. There has been a great deal of financial and human loss,” he added.

Another resident, Farooq, said the attack had erased any sense of festivity for many affected families.
“Eid is for those whose houses are intact and who can go shopping,” he said. “We also had to do shopping for Eid, but now that is impossible, because our house is destroyed.”

Balochistan has witnessed a decades-long separatist insurgency led by militant groups accusing the federal government of exploiting the province’s natural resources without adequately sharing economic benefits with the local population. Pakistani authorities reject the allegations and say security operations are aimed at restoring stability and protecting development projects.

The Baloch Liberation Army has intensified attacks in recent years against security forces, rail infrastructure and Chinese-linked investments in the province. In March last year, militants hijacked the Jaffar Express passenger train and held hundreds of passengers hostage before security forces ended the siege.

The latest bombing underscores the persistent security challenges facing Pakistan as authorities attempt to contain militant violence while safeguarding major regional connectivity and energy projects tied to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

The national holiday marks May 25, 2000, when Israeli forces ended a 22-year presence in southern Lebanon following years of conflict. This year’s commemoration came amid continuing hostilities along the Israeli-Lebanese border, prompting Lebanese officials to emphasize the unresolved security situation in the south.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the anniversary should serve as a moment of national solidarity with families affected by the ongoing conflict, including those who have lost relatives, been wounded, displaced or remain in frontline communities.

In a statement posted on social media, Salam said Lebanon would reserve celebrations until Israeli forces had fully withdrawn from Lebanese territory and displaced residents could safely return to their homes.
President Joseph Aoun described the 2000 withdrawal as the result of sacrifices made by residents of southern Lebanon, calling the anniversary a symbol of national dignity.

He said, however, that the occasion was being observed amid continued military operations in southern villages and what he characterized as ongoing violations of international resolutions, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to securing a complete Israeli withdrawal through diplomatic negotiations while emphasizing the role of the Lebanese state and armed forces in safeguarding national sovereignty.

The statements came as tensions remained elevated in southern Lebanon. Residents of 10 villages were ordered to evacuate on Monday as bombardments continued and concerns mounted over a broader escalation along the border region.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed at least 18 people and wounded 21 others. The ministry said the cumulative death toll linked to the conflict had reached 3,151.

The anniversary has long held symbolic significance in Lebanon’s modern history, marking the end of Israel’s military presence in most of southern Lebanon after more than two decades. This year, however, the observance reflected the extent to which renewed cross-border hostilities have reshaped the country’s political and security landscape.

Lebanese leaders used the occasion to underscore both the legacy of the 2000 withdrawal and the challenges posed by the current conflict, as military operations and civilian displacement continue to affect communities across the south.