Reportedly, an air strike targeting Islamist militants in central Somalia has resulted in the alleged deaths of seven civilians, including a grandmother and five children.
The Somali government had previously announced the elimination of three senior al-Shabab members in El Garas village through a sophisticated operation, as reported by the Somali National News agency, Sonna.
The three al-Shabab members were tracked by government intelligence when they sought refuge in a civilian residence to evade the strike. However, the government has denied responsibility for the civilian casualties, with Deputy Information Minister of Somalia, Abdirahman Yusuf, telling the BBC that “[Al-Shabab] placed explosive devices in a civilian house, which caused the deaths of innocent people.”
Ahmed Nur Mohamud, the husband of 60-year-old Kaha Warsame, who, along with her grandchildren, reportedly perished in the strike, recounted that he was about 1km (1,100 yards) away from the house when the bombing occurred, accompanied by his second wife and their children. He expressed his anguish, stating, “I tried to call them, and their phones were off… When I tried to reach my family’s house around 03:00, there were government soldiers, and I was afraid to go in. I arrived at the house later and realized that the government had taken the bodies with them.” Ahmed Nur Mohamud also described seeing two bombs hitting his family’s dwelling, one on their hut and another on the goat’s shelter.
Witnesses corroborated that the Somali army had removed deceased individuals from the residence. Furthermore, the deputy information minister confirmed to the BBC that Somali soldiers had arrived at the scene following the bombardment.
In his quest for closure, Ahmed Nur is requesting to view the bodies of his wife and grandchildren, emphasizing, “We have never been involved with al-Shabab; we are civilians. I’m requesting the bodies of my family for burial. I demand compensation for my blood relative.”