Amnesty says 23 civilians were killed in Turkish airstrikes in Somalia.

Amnesty International said 23 civilians were killed in two attacks in Somalia using Bayraktar TB-2 drones made by the Turkish company Baykar, which it said may be war crimes.

Amnesty said the attacks, which took place on 18 March 2024, targeted civilians, mostly children and women, from the marginalized Gorgaarte tribe.

Residents told Amnesty that the strikes were carried out by drones, following a face-to-face battle earlier that day between Al-Shabaab and Somali security forces.

"The Somali and Turkish governments should investigate these deadly attacks as a war crime and stop reckless attacks targeting civilians," said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and South Africa.

The international organization said its researchers confirmed that the attacks were carried out with weapons called "MAM-L glide bombs, which were fired from two drones.

Somali government sources told Amnesty that Somali military forces are flying TB-2 during the operations against Al-Shabaab.

Amnesty said on April 5 it sent a letter to the Governments of Somalia and Turkey, to control drones, but it received no response.