Somalia’s former South West leader urges Turkey to halt alleged airstrikes

BAIDOA, Somalia — Former South West state leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has urged Turkey to immediately halt what he described as air operations targeting civilians in Somalia’s South West region, accusing Ankara of violating the country’s sovereignty.

In a statement, Laftagareen alleged that Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones and F-16 fighter jets had carried out strikes in the Bay and Bakool regions, particularly around the towns of Wajid and Baidoa. He said the alleged strikes had killed and wounded civilians and destroyed homes, livestock and farmland.

Traditional elders and regional officials had confirmed the reported damage to civilian communities, the statement added. The claims could not be independently verified.

Laftagareen argued that the operations went beyond the campaign against Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for more than 15 years. He alleged that the strikes were part of a broader campaign targeting civilians and their communities amid political tensions between the federal government and opposition figures.

The former regional leader also referred to a reported attempt to assassinate General Shub in the town of Doolow, describing the incident as part of Somalia’s wider security and political crisis. Further details of the alleged assassination attempt were not provided in the statement.

Laftagareen’s remarks come amid broader political tensions in Somalia, where disputes between the federal government and opposition groups have increasingly complicated efforts to reach consensus on governance and security. Turkey is a major partner of Somalia’s federal government, providing military training and other security assistance as Mogadishu continues its campaign against Al-Shabaab.

The Turkish military operates a training facility in Mogadishu, while Ankara has expanded its security and economic ties with Somalia in recent years. Laftagareen’s statement also criticised relations between Mogadishu and Ankara, alleging that bilateral agreements involved Somalia’s fishing resources, oil and natural gas.

He accused Turkey of pursuing its own interests in Somalia’s natural resources and called on Somalis to oppose what he described as foreign interference and the exploitation of national wealth. The allegations concerning the air operations and resource agreements were not independently verified, and the statement did not provide supporting documentation.

Turkey and Somalia have developed close defence and economic ties, including cooperation in military training, maritime security and energy exploration. It was not immediately clear whether Turkish or Somali federal authorities would respond to Laftagareen’s allegations.

The reported strikes, if confirmed, would raise further questions about civilian protection and the conduct of military operations in areas affected by Somalia’s protracted conflict. Laftagareen previously led South West state, one of Somalia’s federal member states, and remains a prominent figure in the country’s political disputes.

In a statement, Laftagareen alleged that Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones and F-16 fighter jets had carried out strikes in the Bay and Bakool regions, particularly around the towns of Wajid and Baidoa.

He said the alleged strikes had killed and wounded civilians and destroyed homes, livestock and farmland.

Traditional elders and regional officials had confirmed the reported damage to civilian communities, the statement added. The claims could not be independently verified.

Laftagareen argued that the operations went beyond the campaign against Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for more than 15 years.

He alleged that the strikes were part of a broader campaign targeting civilians and their communities amid political tensions between the federal government and opposition figures.

The former regional leader also referred to a reported attempt to assassinate General Shub in the town of Doolow, describing the incident as part of Somalia’s wider security and political crisis. Further details of the alleged assassination attempt were not provided in the statement.