New details obtained by Kaab TV have shed light on a controversial airstrike that struck the residence of former Somali Custodial Corps commander Gen. Mahad Abdirahman “Gen. Shub” in Doolow district, Gedo region, on the night of September 3, 2026, leaving several people injured and triggering political tensions across Somalia.
The strike, which local officials and opposition figures have attributed to Türkiye, targeted a residential compound where Gen. Shub, a prominent figure aligned with the Southwest opposition, was staying with his family.
Turkish authorities have neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the attack.
According to Jubaland officials, the strike wounded five people, including Gen. Shub, his wife, and several civilians.
The explosion also reportedly damaged nearby property, including the residence of the Doolow district commissioner and facilities close to a World Food Programme (WFP) compound.
The targeted area lies near Doolow Airport, a strategic location close to the Somalia–Ethiopia border.
Doolow serves as an important humanitarian hub for southern Somalia and hosts thousands of internally displaced people who have fled conflict and drought.
The attack has therefore raised concerns about the safety of civilians and aid operations in the area.
Sources familiar with the matter told Kaab TV that a high-level security meeting was held in Mogadishu on the evening of September 3, hours before the strike.
The meeting reportedly took place at a joint Turkish-Somali operations coordination facility inside the heavily secured Mogadishu airport complex.
According to security sources, participants included senior Somali military, intelligence and security officials.
Multiple sources alleged that discussions initially focused on the deteriorating security situation in Baidoa, where federal government-backed forces and troops loyal to former Southwest President Abdiasis Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen have been engaged in escalating clashes.
However, the meeting is said to have later expanded to include discussions regarding Gen. Shub and opposition activities based in Doolow.
Kaab TV could not independently verify claims regarding decisions allegedly made during the meeting or the specific chain of command behind the strike.
The attack occurred on the same day that heavy fighting erupted in Baidoa, where forces loyal to Laftagareen launched operations against troops supporting Aadan Mohamed Nur (Aadan Madoobe), who assumed leadership of Southwest State following a disputed political transition earlier this year.
Since June, the political crisis in Southwest Somalia has evolved into an armed confrontation, with both sides accusing each other of undermining constitutional processes and regional stability.
Sources within Somali security circles claim Gen. Shub, who is also related to Laftagareen through family ties, had been involved in organizing opposition activities against the current Southwest administration from Doolow.
Those allegations have not been publicly substantiated.
Residents and journalists in Doolow reported hearing an aircraft shortly before a powerful explosion shook the town late Thursday night.
“We heard the sound of an aircraft circling overhead for several minutes,” local journalist Mahamud Abdi told Kaab TV. “Then there was a huge blast. At first people thought something massive had exploded on the ground.”
By morning, residents gathered around the damaged residence to assess the destruction. Images from the scene showed extensive structural damage to the building where Gen. Shub and his family had reportedly been staying after recently returning from Kenya.
Jubaland authorities strongly condemned the strike, describing it as an attempt to assassinate opposition figures.
In a statement, the regional administration accused Türkiye of taking sides in Somalia’s internal political disputes and warned that such actions could undermine efforts aimed at national reconciliation and dialogue.
Jubaland further argued that the incident raises concerns about the use of drone and airstrike capabilities against political opponents, rather than exclusively against militant groups.
Public demonstrations condemning the attack were later held in Doolow, Kismayo and Garbaharey, where protesters called for greater scrutiny of foreign military involvement in Somalia.
The Federal Government of Somalia has denied any role in the incident.
In a statement issued on September 4, the government said it was not involved in the attack and announced that an investigation had been launched to determine what caused the explosion.
Officials suggested preliminary information indicated that an explosion originating from the ground may have contributed to the damage, though no detailed evidence has been publicly presented.
Turkish officials and the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu have not issued any public response regarding the allegations.
Several Somali officials named in reports surrounding the incident have also not publicly commented on the claims.
The incident has further intensified political tensions between the Federal Government, Southwest opposition groups and the Jubaland administration.
Former Southwest President Abdiasis Laftagareen has accused Somali officials and Türkiye of carrying out the strike, while government supporters reject those allegations and maintain that investigations should be allowed to proceed before conclusions are drawn.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that foreign security experts have visited the strike site to collect evidence and examine the circumstances surrounding the explosion.
As investigations continue, the attack on Gen. Shub’s residence has become one of the most politically sensitive security incidents in Somalia this year, adding a new dimension to the ongoing conflict in Southwest State and raising questions about the role of external actors in Somalia’s internal political disputes.