MOGADISHU (SD) – Somalia’s political crisis has intensified following a reported drone strike on the residence of former Custodial Corps commander Brigadier General Mahad Abdirahman Aden, known as General Shub, in Doolow, Gedo region.

General Mahad survived the overnight attack, although he reportedly sustained injuries. Jubaland authorities said he and four civilians were wounded, while other local reports have cited different casualty figures. The details have not been independently verified.

Jubaland has accused Türkiye of carrying out the strike using military aircraft and alleged that General Mahad was targeted because of his political differences with Somalia’s Federal Government. The regional administration condemned the operation and called for an international investigation into Türkiye’s alleged role.

The accusation has triggered strong reactions from Somali politicians opposed to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration.

Former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed condemned the attack, describing the reported use of military force against a former senior security official as a dangerous development. He warned against turning Somalia’s national security institutions and military capabilities into instruments in political disputes.

Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire also criticized the incident, warning that the use of armed drones and other lethal capabilities in domestic political confrontations could push Somalia into a more dangerous phase of political conflict.

Opposition leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame has been among the prominent political figures criticizing what opponents describe as the Federal Government’s increasingly confrontational approach toward political rivals and federal member states. The wider opposition camp argues that political disputes should be resolved through dialogue, constitutional mechanisms and elections rather than military pressure.

Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Ahmed Madobe) have also emerged as leading regional opponents of Villa Somalia’s political direction. Their broader political camp has raised concerns over the Federal Government’s use of security institutions and foreign military partnerships during the country’s political confrontation.

Jubaland went further, accusing Türkiye of abandoning the neutrality it had previously sought to maintain in Somalia. The administration warned that Ankara’s alleged involvement could undermine its credibility as a mediator in Somalia’s political disputes and called on international partners, including the United Nations, African Union, United States and European Union, to investigate the incident.

The former South West administration also condemned the reported strike and called on Türkiye to clarify who authorized the operation and whether Somali or Turkish officials were involved in approving or directing it.

The Federal Government has denied involvement in the Doolow attack, while the identity of the aircraft responsible and the chain of command behind the strike have not been independently established. Türkiye’s involvement also remains unconfirmed publicly.

The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Somalia, where disputes over constitutional changes, elections, federal authority and the political future of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud have deepened divisions between Villa Somalia and several opposition leaders and federal member states.
The political reaction shows that the Doolow strike has quickly become more than a security incident. For Somalia’s opposition, the central concern is whether military capabilities supplied or operated by a foreign partner are being drawn into domestic political disputes.

Türkiye’s alleged role is still unproven, but the accusations are politically significant. If an independent investigation establishes that Turkish military assets were deliberately used against a Somali political opponent, it could seriously damage Ankara’s claim to be both a strategic security partner and a credible mediator in Somalia.