Somalia

Death of Saif al-Islam Gadhafi Confirmed Amid Controversy Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the eldest son of the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, has reportedly been killed. His lawyer, Khaled el-Zaydi, confirmed the news, although the details surrounding his death remain unclear. Saif al-Islam was a key figure in Libya prior to 2011. He was previously sentenced to death in absentia by a Libyan court. International charges were also pending against him for alleged crimes against humanity. Background and Influence…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Turkey has deployed F-16 fighter jets to support the Somali National Army, Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said Wednesday, describing the move as a significant step in strengthening the country’s air capabilities and counterterrorism operations. Announcing the deployment during a handover ceremony for the new army chief at the defense ministry in Mogadishu, Fiqi said the aircraft will provide strategic backing for ongoing security campaigns. “The arrival of Turkey’s F-16s marks a significant…

GALKAYO, Somalia — Authorities in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland State region on Tuesday executed a woman convicted of murdering a 14-year-old domestic worker, a rare use of the death penalty against a woman that has reignited nationwide debate over child protection and household labor. Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, 34, was shot by firing squad in the central city of Galkayo after a court found she beat to death teenager Saabirin Saylaan late last year. Officials said the sentence was carried out under qisas, an Islamic legal…

WASHINGTON — A U.S. fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, the Pentagon’s Central Command said, even as President Donald Trump said Washington is engaged in talks with Tehran to defuse tensions across the Gulf. U.S. Central Command said the drone, identified as a Shahed-139, “aggressively approached” the carrier and continued toward it despite measures taken by U.S. forces in international waters. CENTCOM said the jet acted in self-defense. The command did not…

DUBAI — North Western State of Somalia President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilaahi Irro attended the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday for the second consecutive year, underscoring Hargeisa’s push for international visibility despite objections from Somalia’s federal government and amid worsening tensions with the United Arab Emirates. The annual forum, one of the world’s most prominent gatherings on governance and public policy, brings together global political leaders, major corporations and international…

Somalia pledges inclusive dialogue as Jubaland, Puntland State allege flight blocks ahead of election talks MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s federal government on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to preserving national unity and advancing an inclusive political dialogue, even as tensions rise with the Jubaland and Puntland State regional administrations over security arrangements before planned election talks. In a statement, the government said it remains fully committed to an open, broad and constructive consultative…

The United States has sharply escalated airstrikes and partner operations in Somalia, pushing the fight against the Islamic State group and al-Shabab deeper into militant strongholds to blunt plots aimed at the U.S. and Europe, according to Lt. Gen. John Brennan, deputy commander of U.S. Africa Command. Brennan, a former Special Forces leader who served in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, said the tempo is designed to deny militants time, space and capability to plan attacks. “There’s ISIS-inspired threats. They plot against the…

Mogadishu City Club roars back from 2-0 down to win General Daud Cup over Horseed FC Mogadishu (AX) — Mogadishu City Club won the 2026 General Daud Cup on Monday with a stirring 3-2 comeback over Horseed FC, overturning a two-goal deficit to seize one of Somali football’s most coveted trophies. Horseed, the military side owned by the Somali National Army, struck twice in the opening stages, imposing themselves with direct play and early pressure. But the final swung sharply as MCC steadied, absorbed the shock and began to…

MOGADISHU — Analysis U.S. Africa Command signaled a broader play in Somalia that reaches beyond counterterrorism. Lt. Gen. John Brennan, AFRICOM’s deputy commander, said Washington’s presence and operations could extend into trade and investment, citing untapped Somali resources on land and offshore. His framing underscores a shift: pairing security assistance with private capital to help stabilize a country long defined by conflict and commercial risk. Brennan argued that chronic insecurity has kept Somalis from benefiting…

Somalia arrests alleged son of ex–al-Shabab leader after street-robbery video in Mogadishu MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency has arrested a man identified as the son of former al-Shabab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, accusing him of involvement in street crime and insecurity in the capital, officials said Tuesday. The suspect, named by authorities as Abdifitaah Ahmed Godane, was detained after security cameras captured him and another man robbing a mobile phone from a young girl in a…