Author, Abdinasir AliRole, BBC SomaliAuthor, Fardawsa HanshiRole, BBC SomaliX, @fardawsa_osman23 September 2025A US airstrike in northern Somalia has sparked controversy after locals said it killed a prominent tribal elder in the Sanaag region, while officials from the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Somali government told the BBC that the strike targeted an al-Shabaab arms dealer. The controversial attack, which took place on 13 September, once again highlighted how airstrikes often leave uncertainty about who is being targeted. The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed that it had carried out a "direct strike" that day, saying only that the target was an "al-Shabaab arms dealer". The statement did not name the man. The people of the Elbuh district identified the man killed as Chief Omar Abdullahi Ali, a well-known conflict resolution leader. Community elders condemned the attack, calling it an attack on their culture and honor. Image credit: US AFRICA Image caption: Gen. Dagvin Anderson, the head of the US Africa Command, meets with the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. BBC Somali has again asked AFRICOM to clarify whether the man they killed was Chief Omar Abdullahi Ali. The command responded that it had no further details beyond what it had written in the press release. When asked about the possibility of civilian casualties, AFRICOM said that such cases are closely monitored, with the findings published in quarterly reports, but did not say whether an investigation into this particular strike was underway. Nabadoon Hussein Haji Yusuf (Indha-deero), an elder from Ceelbuh, told the BBC that Omar Abdullahi Ali was a respected elder who played a central role in the community. He said he was not the man the authorities have now accused him of, but a peacemaker whose death has shocked his community. A Somali government official, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that the Somali and US targets were indeed Aqil Omar Abdullahi, describing him as a "senior facilitator of regional organised crime terrorism" who had supplied weapons to al-Shabaab and ISIS, and that Somali intelligence had discovered the Aqil's links to the Houthi group in Yemen. Skip Read more and continue readingRead moreEnd of Read moreThe official said the attack was planned, carried out using surveillance over a period of time, and that no civilians were harmed. The federal government has not yet issued an official statement. Image source, Social Image caption, Aqil Omar Abdilaahi Abdi. Al-Shabaab has denied that Omar Abdullahi Ali was a member of its organization. These conflicting claims by AFRICOM, the Somali government, al-Shabaab, and the local community have raised a question that remains unanswered: Why haven’t the United States and Somalia officially named the leader as their target? So far in 2025, AFRICOM has released a press release detailing 55 airstrikes it has carried out in Somalia. 31 of them targeted ISIS militants fighting in the Puntland highlands, while the rest targeted al-Shabaab. Washington relies heavily on airstrikes, but they also sometimes cause civilian casualties, making the effectiveness of the strikes questionable. The community in Sanaag region is questioning the motive behind the killing of Omar Abdullahi Ali. Until more evidence is available, or the government and AFRICOM officially confirm the name of the target, this strike will remain controversial.

Author, Abdinasir AliRole, BBC SomaliAuthor, Fardawsa HanshiRole, BBC SomaliX, @fardawsa_osman23 Sebtembar 2025Duqeyn cirka ah oo Maraykanku ka fuliyay waqooyiga Soomaaliya ayaa muran dhalisay, kadib markii dadka deegaanka ay sheegeen in lagu dilay caaqil aad looga yaqaanay gobolka Sanaag, halka masuuliyiin ka tirsan Taliska Mareykanka ee Afrika (AFRICOM) iyo dowladda Soomaaliya ay u sheegeen BBC-da in weerarka lagu bartilmaameedsaday nin hubka Al Shabaab ka ganacsada.Weerarkan oo dhacay 13-kii Sebteembar, ayaa muranka ka dhashay wuxuu mar kale muujiyay sida duqeymaha cirka ahi ay inta badan u reebaan hubanti la'aan ku aadan cidda lagu beegsado.Taliska ciidamada Maraykanka ee Afrika (AFRICOM) ayaa xaqiijiyay in ay fuliyeen "duqeyn toos ah" maalintaas, iyagoo sheegay oo keliya in bartilmaameedku ahaa "ganacsade hubka al-Shabaab" ka baayac mushtara. Magac kuma aysan sheegin war-saxaafadeedka.Dadka degmada Ceelbuh ayaa ku tilmaamay ninka la dilay inuu ahaa Caaqil Cumar Cabdullaahi Cali, caaqil caan ku ahaa xallinta khilaafaadka. Odayaasha bulshada ayaa cambaareeyay weerarka, iyagoo ku tilmaamay weerar ka dhan ah dhaqankooda iyo sharafkooda.Xigashada Sawirka, US AFRICOMQoraalka sawirka, Gen. Dagvin Anderson, hoggaanka Taliska Afrika ee Mareykanka oo la kulmay Madaxweynaha Soomaaliya, Xasan Sheekh Maxamuuud.BBC Somali ayaa mar labaad weydiisay AFRICOM in ay caddeeyaan haddii qofka ay dileen uu ahaa Caaqil Cumar Cabdullaahi Cali. Taliska ayaa ku jawaabay in aysan haynin faahfaahin dheeraad ah marka laga reebo inta ay war-saxaafadeedka ku soo qoreen.Mar aynu waydiinay suuragalnimada ah in waxyeello rayid ay jiraan, AFRICOM waxay sheegtay in dacwadaha kiisaska noocaas ah si dhow loo eego, iyadoo natiijooyinka ka soo baxana lagu daabaco warbixino saddex-biloodle ah, balse kama aysan jawaabin in uu socdo baaritaan ku saabsan duqeyntan si gaar ah.Nabadoon Xuseen Xaaji Yuusuf (Indha-deero), oo isna oday ka ah Ceelbuh, ayaa u sheegay BBC-da in Cumar Cabdullaahi Cali uu ahaa caaqil la ixtiraamo oo door uu wanaagiisu udub-dhexaad yahay ku lahaa bulshada. Wuxuu sheegay inuusan ahayn nin ay ka muuqatay arrimaha ay masuuliyiintu hadda ku eedeeyeen, balse uu ahaa nabadoon ay geeridiisu ka yaabisay bulshadii uu ka dhashay.Mas'uul ka tirsan dowladda Soomaaliya, oo codsaday in aan magaciisa la shaacin, ayaa u sheegay BBC-da in bartilmaameedka Soomaaliya iyo Mareykanku runtii uu ahaa Caaqil Cumar Cabdullaahi, isagoo ku sifeeyay "horjooge sare oo u fududeeya argagixisada gobolka dambiyada abaabulan" kaas oo hub siin jiray al-Shabaab iyo ISIS, isla markaana sirdoonka Soomaaliya uu helay xiriir uu Caaqilku la lahaa kooxda Xuutiyiinta ee Yemen. Skip Ugu akhris badan and continue readingUgu akhris badanEnd of Ugu akhris badanMasuulka ayaa sheegay in weerarka si qorshaysan loo fuliyay, iyadoo la adeegsanayay kormeer muddo la waday, isla markaana aanay waxyeello ka soo gaarin rayid. Dowladda federaalku weli bayaan rasmi ah kama soo saarin.Xigashada Sawirka, SocialQoraalka sawirka, Caaqil Cumar Cabdilaahi Cabdi. Al-Shabaab ayaa beenisay in Cumar Cabdullaahi Cali uu xubin ka ahaa ururkooda.Sheegashooyinkan iska soo horjeeda ee AFRICOM, dowladda Soomaaliya, al-Shabaab iyo bulshada deegaanka ayaa abuuray su'aal ilaa hadda jawaabteedu aysan cadeyn: Mareykanka iyo Soomaaliya maxaysan si rasmi ah ugu magac dhabin in Caaqilku ahaa bartilmaameedkooda?Ilaa iyo hadda sanadkan 2025, AFRICOM waxay war-saxaafadeed ka soo saartay 55 duqeyn oo ay ka fulisay Soomaaliya. 31 ka mid ah waxaa lagu beegsaday xubno Daacish (ISIS) ah oo ka dagaallamaya buuraleyda Puntland, halka inta kale lagu duqeeyay al-Shabaab. Washington ayaa aad ugu tiirsan duqeymaha cirka ah, hase yeeshee waxay sidoo kale mararka qaar dhaliyaan waxyeello rayid oo hufnaanta duqeymaha muran galiya. Bulshada gobolka Sanaag, ayaa is weydiinaya dhab ahaanshaha sababta ka danbeysa dilka Caaqil Cumar Cabdullaahi Cali.Ilaa caddayn dheeraad ah la helo, ama Dowladda iyo AFRICOM si rasmi ah u xaqiijiyaan magaca bartilmaameedka, duqeyntani waxay ahaan doonta mid lagu muransan yahay.