Sunday September 14, 2025
FILE - Abdullahi Omar Abdi, a respected community leader killed in an airstrike in Somalia’s Sanaag region on Sept. 13, 2025. Puntland authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, which his family says deliberately targeted him.
Garowe (HOL) — Puntland authorities have opened an investigation after a traditional elder was killed in an airstrike by unidentified aircraft in Somalia’s Sanaag region on Saturday afternoon, an attack his family says targeted him alone.
Police commander for Sanaag, Col. Aden Ahmed Ali, said investigative teams have been dispatched to the site to collect evidence. He confirmed that preliminary findings indicate the victim, elder Abdullahi Omar Abdi, may have been deliberately targeted. Parts of his remains were recovered at the scene.“The investigation will reveal the motive behind this killing and identify those responsible,” Col. Aden said, urging residents to remain calm while the inquiry is completed.
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Relatives of Abdi said the elder was alone in his car when it was struck, and that some of his remains were recovered while others could not be located. They said low-flying aircraft had circled the El Buh area for several days before the attack, and that Abdi was hit about 25 kilometers outside the town of Badhan after departing El Buh.The family rejected speculation circulating on social media that linked him to al-Shabab, stressing that he was a respected figure involved in peacebuilding and reconciliation. “He dedicated his life to community harmony,” one family member said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the strike. However, preliminary reports from Puntland investigators suggest U.S. intelligence had in recent days tracked individuals suspected of al-Shabab ties who had secretly entered Sanaag. U.S. Africa Command has not commented publicly on the incident.
Abdi was a member of a committee working on development initiatives in Sanaag and recently attended a meeting with Puntland’s president in Bosaso. He was also known as a vocal critic of the Northeastern regional administration established in Las Anod, which remains at the center of political tensions.
Authorities said findings from the investigation will be shared with the public once completed.