Unprecedented Killing of Four Female Family Members in Galguduud, Somalia

Galguduud, Somalia – October 9, 2025 (SahanPost)
An unprecedented and brutal attack in central Somalia has left four female members of a single family dead, sparking outrage across the Galguduud region.

According to local sources, armed militia attacked a family on Wednesday night, October 8, 2025, in Marcaayo village near Qaayib, in the Galguduud region. The victims — a mother and her three daughters — were reportedly herders. Eyewitnesses told Sahan Post that the women were deliberately targeted because of their clan affiliation. The attackers are believed to have been seeking revenge related to ongoing tribal disputes in the area.

This incident has been described by community elders as “unprecedented,” noting that while clan-related conflicts have long existed in Somalia, violence has typically involved men on opposing sides. The deliberate killing of women in such a manner has shocked local communities and been widely condemned as a grave violation of Somali cultural values and human rights.

Traditional leaders from the region strongly denounced the killings and urged the Galmudug regional authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice swiftly. “This act is against humanity and our traditions,” one elder said. “Killing innocent women because of their clan is unacceptable and must never be repeated.”

The victims have been identified as Sahro Artan Hirsi (mother) and her three daughters — Nura Ahmed Mohamud, Hawo Ahmed Mohamud, and Faaiso Ahmed Mohamud.

Clan-based violence remains a major challenge in central Somalia, particularly in pastoralist communities where disputes over scarce resources such as water and grazing land often escalate into armed conflict.