Former Somali Custodial Corps commander says two missiles struck his home in Doolow while he was asleep, leaving him injured and the residence heavily damaged. The Somali government disputes the airstrike account.
DOOLOW, Somalia (Somali Report) — Former Somali Custodial Corps commander General Mahad Abdirahman, widely known as “Shub”, has given a detailed account of an alleged Turkish airstrike at his residence in Doolow, Gedo region, saying two missiles struck the house while he was asleep.
Mahad said the incident occurred at night, when he was sleeping inside the residence. He said he was awakened by a powerful explosion and then saw an aircraft flying over the house.
According to his account, two missiles hit the compound, with one striking the section of the building where he was sleeping. He said the explosions caused extensive damage to the house, destroying or damaging walls, the roof and other parts of the structure.
“One missile hit me, and then another one came. Both missiles landed where I was sleeping,” Mahad said, adding that he suffered minor injuries from shrapnel caused by the blast.
He said he and others inside the residence managed to leave the building after the explosions and were taken to a hospital in Doolow for treatment. Local security personnel and officials, he said, responded to the scene and helped transport those injured to the medical facility, where they received treatment during the night.
Mahad said he returned to inspect the residence after daybreak and found extensive destruction. He said the damage extended beyond the room where he had been sleeping to other sections of the building and nearby areas.
The former commander also spoke about developments he said preceded the incident. He alleged that he had noticed unusual movements involving some people around him and said he had observed an individual repeatedly making telephone calls from different locations.
He further said that some people who had been accompanying him later left the area, while others travelled to Baidoa and Mogadishu.
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Mahad said that after arriving in Doolow he had held a number of meetings and maintained contacts with various people. He said these developments raised suspicions that information about his movements and location was being passed to other parties.
However, his allegations concerning the identity of those responsible for the attack, and any alleged links between them and people he suspected, have not been independently verified.
The incident has triggered conflicting accounts between Somalia's federal government and Jubaland authorities. Jubaland officials and other local sources have described the incident as an airstrike, with some accusing Turkish-operated aircraft of carrying out the attack. The allegations have not been independently confirmed.
Somalia's federal Ministry of Information has denied that an airstrike took place. It said preliminary information indicated that explosives being prepared inside the house caused the blasts and announced plans for a fact-finding investigation into the incident, its motive and those responsible.
The conflicting explanations have fuelled political tensions in Gedo, with demonstrations reported in Doolow and Garbahaarrey and calls for an independent investigation.
No independent investigation has publicly established whether the explosions were caused by an aerial attack, explosives inside the residence, or who was responsible.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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