Netflix’s Surviving Black Hawk Down documentary series is giving an all-new look at the Battle of Mogadishu, and here are how many people died during the titular Black Hawk Down Incident. Ridley Scott’s movie Black Hawk Down famously recounts the Black Hawk Down incident, with it telling the story of the American Black Hawk helicopters that crashed during the Battle of Mogadishu. However, the narrative film doesn’t tell the full story. Now, Surviving Black Hawk Down attempts to tell the true story of the incident through interviews with those involved, with them discussing the human toll that the battle took.
The Black Hawk Down Incident occurred during Operation Gothic Serpent, a military operation carried out by soldiers from the United States of America and the United Nations. The operation’s goal was to capture General Mohamed Farrah Aidid, the leader of the Somali National Alliance in the wake of the overthrow of the Barre regime and the Somali Civil War. On October 3, 1993, American troops went on a mission to raid a building that was believed to hold two lieutenants of General Aidid. During the mission, two Black Hawk helicopters crashed, leading to the incredibly deadly Battle of Mogadishu.
18 American Soldiers Died During The Black Hawk Down Incident
& 84 More Were Wounded
The Battle of Mogadishu was incredibly deadly for both sides, with Surviving Black Hawk Down discussing who died during the events. According to the end of the docuseries, 18 American soldiers were killed, while 84 more were wounded. These soldiers came from the U.S. Army Rangers, Delta Force, and other wings of the U.S. Military. Throughout the Battle of Mogadishu, the Americans attempted to fight their way out of the city, with many of the deaths coming due to the overwhelming amount of armed Somalis that they faced.
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Throughout Surviving Black Hawk Down, the American soldiers that are interviewed discuss the conditions that they had to fight through. The interviewees were friends with many of the people who died during the Battle of Mogadishu, with them giving detailed accounts of their deaths. Surviving Black Hawk Down also interviews the family members of some of the soldiers who died during the Battle of Mogadishu, showing the loss of life that was a result of the Black Hawk Down Incident.
Soldiers From Malaysia & Pakistan Also Suffered Casualties
They Fought Alongside The Americans
While it may not have been focused on in Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, the Americans weren’t the only soldiers involved in the Battle of Mogadishu. In fact, the involvement in Somalia started out as an initiative from the United Nations, with soldiers from many of the member countries spending a lot of time in Somalia. The UNOSOM II armored convoy that was being utilized on the night of October 3, 1993, contained troops from Malaysia and Pakistan, with them joining the Americans on the mission to apprehend the two SNA lieutenants.
By the end of the Battle of Mogadishu, the Malaysian troops had one death and seven wounded, while the Pakistani troops had two wounded. This is according to a 1994 United Nations Security Council report that details the events of the Battle of Mogadishu, as well as other UNOSOM II activities. So, while the Americans made up the majority of UNOSOM II’s casualties, the other countries that were involved in the Battle of Mogadishu faced losses and injuries as well.
How Many People From Somalia Were Killed During The Battle of Mogadishu
According To Estimates From The Documentary
One of the main thematic ideas in Surviving Black Hawk Down is the attempt to put a spotlight on the Somali side of the Black Hawk Down Incident. One of the main criticisms of Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down is how it dehumanizes the Somalis, with the docuseries instead featuring interviews with Somali citizens as well as Somalis who fought as part of Aidid’s army.
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The final title cards in Surviving Black Hawk Down juxtapose the losses that UNOSOM II saw with the loss of life that the Somalis faced. According to the documentary, an estimated 300 to 500 Somalis were killed during the Battle of Mogadishu, with a further 1,000 being wounded. The documentary attempts to explain why this was, with it featuring soldiers describing how they fired into large crowds of Somalis with their superior weapons. The events of October 3, 1993, led to an incredible amount of life being lost, with Surviving Black Hawk Down attempting to highlight how much of a tragedy it was.
Sources: Surviving Black Hawk Down, United Nations Security Council