MOGADISHU: Somalia’s army chief said civilians, not extremists, were killed in a military operation on Friday that both the United States and Somalia say they will investigate.

Ahmed Jimale Gedi told reporters on Saturday that the deaths in Barire village in Lower Shabelle region were the result of suspicion between the two sides.

He says he is shocked by the civilian deaths. The deputy governor of Lower Shabelle has said 10 civilians were killed, including three children.

Somalia’s government at first said Al Shabaab extremists were killed but later noted civilian casualties.

The US Africa Command has confirmed it supported an operation by the Somali army in the area.

Somali forces supported by US troops shot dead 10 Somalis, including three children, in a village near the capital Mogadishu late on Friday, a witness and local officials said.

The involvement of US troops was confirmed by US Africa Command, which said it was investigating reports of civilian casualties.

The Somali army initially said no civilians were killed and all the dead were members of the al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab militia, which is fighting to overthrow the weak UN-backed government and impose strict Islamic law.

It later issued a second statement saying some civilian casualties had been reported.

The White House has granted the US military broader authority to carry out strikes in Somalia against Al Shabaab, in the latest sign President Donald Trump is increasing US military engagement in the region.

But local elders said the keenness to engage left the US open to being unwittingly drawn into clan feuds, stoking tensions between Somalis and the United States.

The village attacked, Bariire in Lower Shabelle, about 50km from the capital, is at the centre of a feud between two powerful and well-armed clans, lawmaker Dahir Amin Jesow said.

He said those killed were farmers who had armed themselves to defend themselves against the rival group.

“The two clans who fought misinformed the US forces,” he said, adding that one group may have tipped off security forces that the other side were insurgents.

Witness Warsame Wador told Reuters the dead were farmers who had been asleep when the raid began just before sunrise.

Source: Associated Press