Mohamed Gabobe and Faisal Ali
Dec 22, 2025
In December, Puntland’s Police Force Criminal Investigation Department also released an official report into Abdullahi’s killing that contradicted the U.S. military’s claim that he was an al-Shabaab operative, a justification used for the strike. The issuance of the report pointed to unease within elements of the security establishment over the killing.
The report, which was submitted to both the Attorney General and Supreme Court of Puntland, found that Abdullahi had “no criminal record” and was not “under any investigation” by Puntland security or investigative agencies—explicitly challenging the U.S. assertion that the strike had killed an al-Shabaab operative.
The strike that killed Abdullahi comes amid an unprecedented escalation of the U.S. drone campaign targeting ISIS in northern Somalia, where the group is concentrated, and where al-Shabaab also has a small presence. Since his return to office, President Donald Trump has delegated authority to authorize strikes to AFRICOM commanders, which has increased their pace and aggressiveness. In comments to the Council of Foreign Relations just two weeks after Abdullahi was killed, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud welcomed the move as “effective,” adding that the number of U.S. military assets in Somali airspace had also risen. (Drop Site News also recently reported on an airstrike in Jamame, a town held by al-Shabaab in south-central Somalia, that killed 11 people, including seven children.)
A frustrating read – Thank you for sharing
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