Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s federal government has rejected allegations that it carried out a drone strike on the Doolow residence of former Somali Correctional Service Commander Gen. Mahad Abdirahman Shub, as competing accounts emerged over an explosion that injured the former official and four civilians.
In a statement issued Friday, the Ministry of Information said preliminary information gathered by security agencies suggested that explosives being prepared inside the house caused the blasts.
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“The government will immediately appoint a fact-finding committee to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, its motives and who was behind it,” the statement said.
The ministry described Doolow, in Gedo region, as strategically important for security and movement, saying the federal government had made stability in the district and the protection of its residents a particular priority.
Authorities also cautioned the public against what they called false reports about the incident, saying the claims were intended to create confusion.
The government said it would release the investigation’s findings after the inquiry was concluded.
According to Jubaland State, Gen. Mahad Abdirahman Shub survived with minor injuries. Four civilians, including his wife, were also hurt.
The explosion reportedly struck the compound where Shub was staying at around 11:40 p.m. Thursday.
He was taken to a medical facility in Doolow, and reports said arrangements were being made to transfer him to Dolo, Ethiopia, for additional treatment.
Jubaland authorities alleged that Turkish drones carried out the attack, claiming Shub was targeted because of political differences with Somalia’s federal government.
“This barbaric attack directly targeted the house of the former Commander of the Federal Government Correctional Service Mahad Abdirahman Aden, who was targeted by the Federal Government and Turkey solely because of his political differences,” Jubaland said in a statement.
The regional administration called the incident a war crime and demanded accountability from what it described as the outgoing federal administration and the Turkish government.
It further accused Türkiye of permitting its aircraft to be used against individuals who hold opposing political views.
Jubaland urged the United Nations, African Union, IGAD, the United States and the European Union to investigate Türkiye’s conduct in Somalia, arguing that its actions did not serve the interests of the Somali people or the wider region.
The administration said the incident could undermine Türkiye’s position as a mediator in Somalia’s internal political disputes, asserting that Ankara had demonstrated support for one side.
Shub is regarded as a close ally of former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, whose forces attacked Baidoa on Thursday morning.
Earlier, South West State’s Council of Ministers designated forces loyal to Laftagareen as a terrorist group and accused them of joining al-Shabab.
Laftagareen rejected the designation, insisting that his forces have no ties to al-Shabab and accusing the federal government and South West authorities of politicizing the security situation.
Baidoa, located roughly 245 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu, is a major humanitarian center and home to more than half a million people displaced by conflict and drought.
