Ceel — BUH, Somalia - Security officials in Somalia's Puntland region have strongly condemned an airstrike that killed a prominent clan elder on Saturday in the Jiicanyo area, part of Ceel-buh district in the eastern Sanaag region.
According to Aden Ahmed Ali, the Police Commander for Sanaag Region, a military aircraft fired three missiles at a vehicle carrying Elder Omar Abdullahi Abdi Ibrahim on Saturday afternoon.
"Yesterday afternoon, residents of Urur and Jiicanyo alerted police about an aerial bombardment along the road between Ceel-buh and Badhan. When we arrived at the site, we found the elder's vehicle and his body completely burned," Commander Ali told reporters. "Further investigation confirmed that the victim, who was alone in a RAAF-type vehicle, was targeted by three missiles launched from a military aircraft."
The identity of the aircraft and those behind the strike remains unknown. Puntland authorities have pledged a full investigation to determine the circumstances of the attack.
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Security sources noted that the elder had recently been in Bosaso, Puntland's commercial capital, where he participated in a series of consultations between government officials and community leaders from the Sanaag and Haylaan regions.
Puntland's security agencies stated that a full forensic and intelligence investigation will be conducted at the scene of the strike.
No group has claimed responsibility for the airstrike, and there has been no official comment from any foreign military forces operating in Somali airspace.
Elders play a crucial role in Somalia's traditional governance, reconciliation, and mediation processes.
The killing has sparked outrage among local communities, with fears it could further destabilize the fragile peace in the region.
