These Photos Were Not Taken During the Recent Somalia Civilian Attack
The Claim
Images depict the most recent overnight attack in Somalia on civilians.
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Images purportedly taken from the most recent overnight attack on civilians in Somalia by Al-Shabab militants have been circulated by news outlets and social media users.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar has investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The photos circulating are outdated and unrelated to the incident.
August 2017 Somalia Attack
Using Reverse Image Search and TinEye, we found that the first photo purporting to show corpses from the attack scene in Somalia was published on local news websites in August 2017 as civilians were massacred near Jigjiga, west Somalia
We also examined the second black-and-white image and discovered that it is unrelated to the most recent Al-Shabab attack on civilians and does not depict the damage caused by the targeting. The original photo, which had been altered, had been published online in July 2022.
Photo description: A screenshot from the Facebook post featuring the same picture.
The third image is also outdated and predates the incident. On September 15, 2016, Somali news outlets published it online in response to the damage caused by a car explosion.
The last image was posted online on February 19 after Al-Shabab militants burned seven vehicles near Afgooye town in Somalia.
Based on the findings, Misbar confirms that the four images are old and unrelated to the recent attack by the Al-Shabab group on civilians in Somalia.
Civilians Killed in a Recent Al-Shabab Attack
During an overnight attack in Somalia's central region, the armed group Al-Shabab killed at least 18 civilians and destroyed vehicles transporting food supplies from the city of Baladweyne to Mahas town, according to Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, according to the Washington Post, the group has killed at least 20 people and burned down seven vehicles.
Al-Shabab militants, an al-Qaeda-linked group, frequently attacked military targets and civilians during a battle against the Somali’s central government for more than a decade as they wanted to establish their rule based on “a strict interpretation of Islamic law.”
In August, Al-Shabab militants stormed the Hayat Hotel in Modagishu after an hour-long exchange of fire with the security forces. The attack that started with explosions outside the hotel before the fighters entered the building killed 20 people and left at least 40 people wounded while security forces rescued other people, including children.
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