UAE drone strike accused of killing four civilians in Somalia

An investigation has accused United Arab Emirates forces of conducting a drone strike that killed four members of a Somali family in the Puntland region. The attack occurred on January 26, 2025, near Togga-Xarago in the Cal Miskaad mountains during a military offensive against Islamic State militants.

The victims identified include Ladan Abdi Ismael, 13-year-old Abdisamad Yusuf Mohamud, seven-year-old Mohamed Abdiqani Mohamed, and 17-year-old Hawa Ahmed Salah, who was four months pregnant. An eight-month-old infant survived the strike. The attack also reportedly wounded five relatives and destroyed hundreds of livestock, including camels and goats.

Puntland security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the drones involved operated from a UAE military facility at Bosaso airport. The affected family had previously been instructed to relocate from the Dhadaar settlement to a designated safe zone due to the presence of ISIS fighters. The UAE embassy in Mogadishu and the UAE foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.