PRESS STATEMENT
SOMALIA HAS ENTERED A NEW DANGEROUS CHAPTER
REPORTED DOOLOW AIRSTRIKE RAISES GRAVE QUESTIONS OVER SOVEREIGNTY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND FOREIGN MILITARY INVOLVEMENT
The Puntland State of Somalia strongly and unequivocally condemns the reported airstrike on the residence of General Mahad Abdirahman, widely known as Taliye Shub, in Doolow District.
According to an account from a resident of Doolow, the incident reportedly occurred at approximately 11:45 p.m. and allegedly involved a Turkish-operated Bayraktar TB2 drone. The drone reportedly struck General Mahad’s residence with a missile before departing in the direction of Mogadishu, reportedly passing over Luuq District.
The reported strike allegedly caused substantial damage to the residence and left General Mahad with minor injuries.
If confirmed, this would not be merely an isolated security incident. It would represent a grave challenge to Somalia’s sovereignty, constitutional order, national security, and the fundamental principle that Somali political and security disputes must be addressed through Somali institutions—not through foreign military force.
THIS CANNOT BE NORMALIZED
The Puntland State of Somalia categorically rejects any attempt to normalize the use of foreign military capabilities against Somali security officials, political actors, or civilians outside legitimate, clearly defined, and lawfully authorized counterterrorism operations.
Foreign military assistance must never become an instrument for political coercion, retaliation, intimidation, or the resolution of Somalia’s internal political and security disputes.
Somalia is a sovereign nation. Somali territory is not a battlefield for settling political rivalries, and Somali citizens must never become targets in conflicts driven by internal political divisions.
If a foreign-operated armed drone was indeed used to strike the residence of a Somali security figure, the Somali people have a fundamental right to know:
WHO AUTHORIZED THIS OPERATION?
The reported incident raises questions that cannot be dismissed, ignored, or buried beneath political rhetoric.
– Who ordered the operation?
– Who authorized the deployment of the drone?
– Who identified the residence as a legitimate military target?
– What intelligence was used to justify the strike?
– What rules of engagement governed the operation?
– Which Somali authority, if any, requested, approved, or facilitated the operation?
– Was the Caretaker Federal Government of Somalia directly involved in authorizing, directing, or facilitating the reported strike?
And most importantly:
WAS THIS STRIKE CONNECTED TO THE FIGHTING IN BAIDOA EARLIER THAT DAY?
If credible evidence establishes that the reported strike was conducted as retaliation for, or in connection with, internal political or military fighting in Baidoa, the implications would be extraordinarily serious.
It would raise a fundamental and deeply troubling question:
Is foreign military power being used to influence, punish, intimidate, or alter the outcome of Somalia’s internal political and security disputes?
That must never become the new normal in Somalia.
TURKEY’S PARTNERSHIP WITH SOMALIA CARRIES RESPONSIBILITIES
Turkey is an important partner of Somalia, and the Puntland State recognizes the longstanding cooperation between Somalia and the Republic of Türkiye.
But partnership does not erase sovereignty.
Military cooperation must operate within the principles of transparency, lawful authorization, accountability, international law, and the protection of civilians.
Partnership cannot mean a blank cheque.
No bilateral relationship, security agreement, or counterterrorism partnership should place foreign military operations beyond legitimate scrutiny or accountability.
A genuine partnership strengthens Somali institutions, national sovereignty, and the rule of law.
It must never undermine them.
If the reported operation occurred, the Somali people deserve a full, credible, and transparent explanation.
WE DEMAND AN IMMEDIATE INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION
The Puntland State calls for an immediate, transparent, impartial, and genuinely independent investigation into the reported Doolow airstrike.
The Caretaker Federal Government of Somalia must publicly clarify:
– Whether it authorized, requested, facilitated, or was informed of the reported operation;
– Whether Turkish-operated armed drones conducted an operation in Doolow at approximately 11:45 p.m.;
– The purpose and stated objective of any such operation;
– The identity of the authority that designated and authorized the alleged target;
– The intelligence and evidence relied upon to classify the residence as a military target;
– The legal basis for the operation; and
– Whether the operation was connected in any way to the political and military confrontation in Baidoa.
We also call upon the Turkish authorities to provide a clear, transparent, and verifiable account of any drone operations conducted in or around Doolow at the relevant time.
The Somali people deserve facts—not silence, speculation, or political spin.
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MUST PAY ATTENTION
The Puntland State calls upon the United Nations, African Union, and IGAD to closely monitor these allegations and support an independent fact-finding process if credible evidence indicates that a foreign-operated armed drone was used against a Somali security figure outside a legitimate counterterrorism operation.
Any independent investigation should examine all available evidence, including:
– Satellite imagery;
– Flight and operational records;
– Radar or air-traffic data, where available;
– Eyewitness testimony;
– Photographs and video from the scene;
– Weapons remnants and blast patterns;
– Forensic evidence;
– Communications and command records, where lawfully obtainable; and
– Any other material capable of establishing what occurred and determining responsibility.
The objective must be clear:
Establish the truth.
Protect civilians.
Identify responsibility.
Prevent recurrence.
SOMALIA’S SOVEREIGNTY IS NOT NEGOTIABLE
The Puntland State rejects any attempt to selectively respect Somalia’s sovereignty when politically convenient.
Somalia cannot build a functioning federal state while foreign military power is permitted to operate without transparency, effective oversight, lawful authorization, and accountability.
Nor can Somalia afford to normalize armed drones as instruments of internal political conflict.
Today it may be one Somali security figure. Tomorrow it could be another official, a political leader, a community, or civilians caught in the middle.
That is precisely why these allegations must be taken seriously.
If confirmed, the reported Doolow strike would raise profound questions concerning Somalia’s sovereignty, civilian protection, command authority, due process, foreign military involvement, and the limits of security cooperation.
THIS IS A TEST OF SOMALIA’S SOVEREIGNTY
The Puntland State therefore strongly condemns the reported attack and demands immediate answers.
We do not call for confrontation.
We do not call for escalation.
We call for truth, accountability, and respect for Somali sovereignty.
Somalia must not become a place where political disputes are settled through missiles, drones, or foreign military power.
Somali lives are not bargaining chips.
Somali territory is not a free-fire zone.
Somali sovereignty is not negotiable.
Until an independent investigation establishes the facts, the allegations surrounding this incident must remain clearly identified as unverified.
But unverified does not mean unimportant.
The seriousness of these allegations demands immediate attention, transparency, and accountability—not silence.
SOMALIA HAS ENTERED A NEW DANGEROUS CHAPTER
The choice before Somalia and its international partners is clear:
Will foreign military power be allowed to become an instrument of internal political conflict—or will Somalia’s sovereignty, institutions, and people be protected?
The Puntland State believes the answer must be unequivocal.
SOMALIA MUST COME FIRST.
Issued by:
Bile Qabobsade
Deputy Minister of Information
Puntland State of Somalia
@TC_MogadisuBE
@UNSomalia
@UN
@IGADsecretariat
@_AfricanUnion
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