A pregnant woman and her three young daughters were killed in an airstrike in Somalia’s Puntland State, prompting renewed concern over civilian casualties linked to ongoing counterterrorism operations in the area.
The strike occurred in the Bahaya highlands of Bari region on May 21, according to local officials and relatives, in an area where Puntland security forces and international partners have intensified aerial operations against ISIS militants.
Bari region has witnessed frequent airstrikes over the past year, including separate operations conducted by the United States and the United Arab Emirates targeting ISIS-Somalia positions. U.S. Africa Command has carried out more than 25 airstrikes in Somalia this year, many concentrated in Puntland’s mountainous areas.
Former Somali minister Ashkir Nur, who hails from the region and currently serves as Somalia’s Deputy Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community, condemned the incident and called for an urgent and transparent investigation.
“Three young girls and their mother, who was in her ninth month of pregnancy, were killed in an airstrike shortly after sunrise in the Bahaya highlands of Bari region” Nur said in a statement.
He said the area was inhabited by pastoralist families and was located within what he described as government-designated safe zones, far from legitimate military targets.
Nur said the father of the children, Mohammed Eid Ismail, survived the attack and is receiving treatment at a hospital in Bosaso after suffering injuries and severe psychological trauma.
“He has suffered the loss of his pregnant wife, his three daughters, and significant damage to his livestock and modest possessions,” Nur said.
While reaffirming support for Puntland’s campaign against ISIS militants, Nur said civilian deaths must be independently investigated.
“We stand with the Puntland government and its armed forces in their fight against terrorism,” he said. “However, the bombing of innocent children and their mother, who committed no crime, is a crime that will not go unpunished.”
He urged Puntland authorities to clarify the circumstances surrounding the strike, support the affected family, and pursue accountability for those responsible.
Puntland authorities have not yet publicly commented on the allegations or identified the aircraft involved in the strike.
