Somalia: Reports of New Turkish Airstrikes Near Baidoa Cause Casualties

BAIDOA, Somalia — Reports have emerged of new airstrikes allegedly carried out by Turkish aircraft late Saturday on the outskirts of Baidoa, the capital of Somalia’s South West State, with casualties reported following the strikes.

The reported strikes come amid escalating fighting between forces aligned with Somalia’s federal government and fighters loyal to former South West State president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen.

A critic of the federal government accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Turkey of carrying out indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Baidoa and surrounding areas.

“The hostility that Hassan Sheikh and Turkey have towards the people of South West is demonstrated by the indiscriminate airstrikes they are carrying out against civilians living in Baidoa and its surrounding areas,” he said. “The airstrike that took place last night is another example.”

The claims of the latest strikes and casualties could not immediately be independently verified.

The allegations come days after a separate incident in Doolow, in the Gedo region, in which former Somali Custodial Corps commander General Mahad Abdirahman Aden, widely known as General Shub, survived an explosion at his residence.

Jubaland authorities accused Turkish drones of carrying out the September 3-4 attack, saying Shub and four civilians were injured. Jubaland said the strike targeted Shub because of his political differences with the federal government.

The Somali federal government, however, denied involvement and said preliminary information indicated that the explosions were caused by explosives being prepared inside the house. The government said it would establish a fact-finding committee to investigate the incident.

The operator of the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the Doolow incident have not been independently established. Turkish authorities have also not publicly confirmed responsibility for the attack.

The Doolow incident triggered protests in parts of Gedo, where demonstrators accused Turkey of interfering in Somalia’s internal political affairs. Some protesters burned Turkish flags, reflecting growing anger over Ankara’s alleged role in the conflict.

Turkey has become a major security partner of Somalia, providing military training, equipment and other forms of security assistance to the federal government. Its growing military role has nevertheless come under increasing scrutiny as Somalia’s political divisions deepen.

The reported Baidoa strikes and the controversy surrounding the Doolow incident are likely to intensify debate over whether foreign military capabilities are being drawn into Somalia’s internal political and territorial disputes.

Neither the Turkish government nor Somalia’s federal authorities had immediately issued a detailed statement confirming the latest reported airstrikes near Baidoa or the number of casualties.

GAROWE ONLINE