Mohgadisho (Sahan Post):- Somalia’s Federal Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, has for the first time commented on the killing of Elder Omar Abdullahi Abdi, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike near the town of Badhan on September 13, 2025
Minister Fiqi made the remarks in response to a question from Senator Saynab Tiinbiye, who represents the Sanaag region. He stated that the local administration in the area where the strike occurred is responsible for the intelligence sharing that takes place with international partners, implying that the information used to target the elder may have originated from Puntland.
The minister revealed that the Somali federal government first learned of the incident through social media, after local residents shared photos of the elder’s vehicle that had been struck in the attack.
Fiqi added that the federal government is about to launch an investigation into the airstrike following questions about who was behind the attack and why the elder was targeted, promising that he will share the outcome of the investigation to the concerned people.
The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) had earlier stated that it conducted an strike near Badhan with assistance from Somali Security Forces, accusing the the targeted person of illegally supplying weapons to the militant group Al-Shabaab, an allegation that Al-Shabaab has denied.
The Puntland regional government has so far not issued any statement regarding the killing of Elder Omar, who had reportedly met with Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni just days before his death.
Analysts at Sahan Post suggest that the incident may have political undertones, pointing to the differing reactions between the federal and regional authorities as a sign that the killing could be politically motivated.
Sahan Post
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