Thousands of local residents took to the streets today in several towns across Gedo region in Jubaland, protesting a Turkish airstrike carried out in Doolow district on Thursday night [3 September].
The protesters in Doolow were joined by local administration officials, including Doolow District Commissioner Mohamed Hassan Lafey, who survived what was reportedly an assassination attempt on Thursday night.
Speaking in Doolow today, Commissioner Lafey said they would never forgive Turkey, describing the airstrike as a politically motivated assassination attempt.
“I never expected that Turkey and countries such as Egypt would politically attempt to kill a citizen in his own home,” he said, referring to the airstrike in Doolow.
Protests were also held in the town of Garbahaarrey, where demonstrators burned Turkish and Egyptian flags.
Residents protesting in Doolow and Garbahaarrey condemned the Turkish airstrike on Doolow district, which hosts humanitarian organisations and a large population of displaced people.
“The attack was carried out by Turkey and mercenaries,” said Doolow District Commissioner Mohamed Hassan Lafey.
Protesters said they were praying for General Mahad Abdirahman, who was the target of the airstrike and who, along with his wife, sustained injuries in the attack.
The bombing, which hit a residential area in Doolow on Thursday night, killed at least one person and injured several others, including General Mahad Abdirahman, his wife and members of his security detail, local officials said.
General Mahad Abdirahman, known as General Shubka is the former commander of Somalia prison guards and the father-in-law to Abdiaziz Laftagareen, the ousted president of Southwest State.
In a statement, ousted Southwest State President Laftagareen also accused Turkey of carrying out the attack, saying it was intended to assassinate General Mahad Abdirahman.
General Mahad now leads a faction of Southwest State forces fighting against the forces loyal to Southwest State leader Adan Madobe in Baidoa, where clashes between the two factions have resulted in deaths.
Turkey has been accused of becoming involved in Somalia’s internal conflict, while protesters strongly condemned the Mogadishu government, which they alleged was involved in the attack on Doolow.
The Somali government said it is investigating the incident.
The Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu has yet to comment on the allegations surrounding the airstrike.
The Doolow district commissioner called for the ongoing conflict in Southwest State to be addressed through dialogue.