2017 raid on Barii

Last updated
2017 raid on Barii
Part of the War in Somalia
and the War on Terror
Date5 May 2017
Location
Barii, 40 miles west of Mogadishu, Somalia
Result Somali Victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Flag of Somalia.svg Federal Government of Somalia
ShababFlag.svg Al-Shabaab
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the United States.svg David J. Furness [1] ShababFlag.svg Mahad Karate [2]
ShababFlag.svg Moalin Osman Abdi Badil  [1]
Strength
Flag of the United States.svg :
50 [3] DEVGRU operators (In all of Somalia)
several helicopters
Flag of Somalia.svg :
Danab ("Lightning") commandos [4]
2,350
Casualties and losses
Flag of the United States.svg :
1 killed
2 wounded [1]
Flag of Somalia.svg :
none [2]
4-8 killed [1] [2]

The raid onBarii was a military operation conducted by SEAL Team Six (DEVGRU) with Federal Government of Somalia Danab commandos. The raid resulted in the death of DEVGRU Senior Chief Petty Officer Kyle Milliken, marking the first US serviceman combat death in Somalia since the First Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, also known as "Black Hawk Down". [5]

Events

A firefight erupted shortly after a DEVGRU team and Somali army forces were dropped by helicopter near an al-Shabaab compound in an area on the Shebelle River called Barii, about 40 miles (64 km) west of the capital Mogadishu. The DEVGRU operators were conducting an operation with Somali commandos to target a local leader of al-Shabaab in Darusalam village, [3] where Abdirahman Mohamed Warsame, known as Mahad Karate, was believed to be hiding. [2]

In addition to the dead DEVGRU operator, at least two other Americans were wounded, including a Somali-American interpreter. At least three al-Shabaab militants also died plus another local al-Shabaab commander. The mission was aborted soon after insurgents opened fire. The American/Somali group quickly returned to the aircraft that had taken it to the area and was evacuated. [1] [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Cooper, Helene (2017-05-09). "Navy SEAL Who Died in Somalia Was Alongside, Not Behind, Local Forces". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "U.S. Navy SEAL killed in Somalia raid on militant compound". Reuters. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 2017-06-10.
  3. 1 2 "Gunfight kills Navy SEAL, wounds 2 other SEALs in Somalia". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-06-10.
  4. 1 2 Hennigan, W. J. (2017-05-25). "U.S. special operations forces face growing demands and increased risks". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  5. "In sign of intensifying Somalia fight, Navy SEAL killed during raid against al-Shabab". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-06-09.

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