| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Horn |
| Somalia: Fears grow after airstrike kills clan elder in Sanaag region |
| 2025-09-15 |
It’s not clear to me whether this is Page 1: WoT, Page 2: WoT Background/Politics, or Page 3: Non-WoT. [ShabelleMedia] Tensions are rising in Somalia’s northeastern Sanaag region after a deadly airstrike killed a prominent clan elder near the town of Ceelbuh, local sources said Sunday.The strike, carried out on Saturday by an unidentified warplane, targeted the outskirts of Ceelbuh in Badhan district. Among those killed was tribal elder Omar Abdullahi, a respected figure from the area, community leaders confirmed. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and authorities from both Puntland and the newly formed Northeastern Administration have yet to issue any official statements. The incident has sparked widespread concern among traditional leaders and residents, who fear a further escalation of violence in the region. “This is a serious and shocking attack on our community,” said Abdirahman Anshah, another elder from the region. “People are deeply worried, and we call on the Puntland administration to immediately investigate who is behind this.” The airstrike has raised questions about growing insecurity in eastern Sanaag, a region historically known for its complex clan dynamics and contested political control between regional Somali authorities. Local residents report a heavy military presence in the area following the strike, though it remains unclear whether additional operations are expected. Recently, Puntland announced it will start a major military offensive against militants in the Al-madow mountains in the Sanaag region after finishing the current war against ISIS in the Al-Mikaad mountains in the Bari region. Puntland Authorities Condemn Deadly Airstrike on Clan Elder in Sanaag [ShabelleMedia] Security officials in Somalia’s Puntland region have strongly condemned an airstrike that killed a prominent clan elder on Saturday in the Jiicanyo area, part of Ceel-buh district in the eastern Sanaag region. According to Aden Ahmed Ali, the Police Commander for Sanaag Region, a military aircraft fired three missiles at a vehicle carrying Elder Omar Abdullahi Abdi Ibrahim on Saturday afternoon. “Yesterday afternoon, residents of Urur and Jiicanyo alerted police about an aerial bombardment along the road between Ceel-buh and Badhan. When we arrived at the site, we found the elder’s vehicle and his body completely burned,” Commander Ali told reporters. “Further investigation confirmed that the victim, who was alone in a RAAF-type vehicle, was targeted by three missiles launched from a military aircraft.” The identity of the aircraft and those behind the strike remains unknown. Puntland authorities have pledged a full investigation to determine the circumstances of the attack. Security sources noted that the elder had recently been in Bosaso, Puntland’s commercial capital, where he participated in a series of consultations between government officials and community leaders from the Sanaag and Haylaan regions. Puntland’s security agencies stated that a full forensic and intelligence investigation will be conducted at the scene of the strike. No group has claimed responsibility for the airstrike, and there has been no official comment from any foreign military forces operating in Somali airspace. Related: Sanaag: 2025-08-04 Puntland prepares military operation against Al-Shabaab in Sanaag’s Calmadow mountains Sanaag: 2025-08-03 Responses to Somali’s new Northeast Regional State Sanaag: 2025-07-06 Puntland says key ISIS leaders killed in Calmiskaad offensive, new phase underway Related: Puntland: 2025-09-13 ‘Looking Into Soros. Looks Like RICO’: Trump Puts Crosshairs On Radical Leftist NGOs Puntland: 2025-09-13 Puntland Forces Capture Key ISIS Bases in Two-Pronged Offensive Puntland: 2025-09-10 Somali forces have captured 2 fleeing ISIS terrorists attempting to secretly enter Bosaso |
| Posted by:trailing wife |