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US says Somali elder killed in airstrike was Al-Shabab weapons dealer
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Wednesday September 17, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — A U.S. airstrike in Somalia’s northern Sanaag region killed Abdullahi Omar Abdi, a respected clan elder whom the Pentagon identified as an Al-Shabab weapons trafficker, US Africa Command confirmed Wednesday.
AFRICOM said the September 13 strike near Badhan targeted an Al-Shabab member “responsible for procuring and transferring illegal weapons,” and was carried out in coordination with Somalia’s federal government and armed forces. “We will continue precision strikes to degrade Al-Shabab’s ability to threaten the US homeland, our forces and our citizens abroad,” the command said.
While AFRICOM did not identify the target, local authorities and family members reported that prominent traditional elder Abdullahi Omar Abdi was killed in an airstrike in the area around the same time.
Relatives insist Abdi was deliberately targeted while travelling alone and reject any suggestion he had ties to Al-Shabab, describing him as a peace mediator and member of a local development committee in Sanaag who had recently met Puntland’s president in Bosaso.
Abdi was known as a critic of the newly declared Northeastern administration in Las Anod, which remains at the center of political tensions.
Puntland investigators said parts of Abdi’s remains were recovered at the scene, about 25 kilometres outside Badhan. They also added that preliminary findings suggested U.S. intelligence had tracked individuals suspected of Al-Shabab ties who had entered Sanaag. Police commander Col. Aden Ahmed Ali said an inquiry is ongoing to establish the motive and identify those responsible, while urging residents to remain calm.
The strike initially fueled speculation in Sanaag, where some residents accused Puntland authorities or the United Arab Emirates of involvement before AFRICOM acknowledged responsibility.
Abdi is the first Somali elder publicly acknowledged to have been killed by a US strike, an escalation that has fueled anger among traditional leaders. The Northeastern regional administration in Las Anod condemned the killing, saying airstrikes that target elders “harm the peace and stability of the Somali people,” and called on Mogadishu to safeguard Somali airspace.
Traditional leaders from Sanaag and Haylan have also petitioned Puntland’s president for action, warning that the killing of respected figures risks deepening political rifts in the region.
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