Africa — 2026-10-10

UAE Drone Strikes in Somalia Puntland Killed Civilians Including Children Investigation Finds as US Takes Over Anti-ISIS Lead

BLUFUnaccountable UAE strikes that hit designated safe zones risk collapsing the tribal cooperation both Washington and Abu Dhabi need to sustain pressure on ISIS in Puntland's interior.

Drop Site News reported that a UAE drone strike on January 26, 2025, near Togga-Xarago in Puntland's Al-Miskaad mountains killed four members of the Reer Yusuf Mohamud Salah family, including children aged 7 and 13, and wounded five 1. Four anonymous Puntland security officials told the outlet the drones launched from a UAE base at Bosasso airport; the UAE did not respond to Drop Site's queries 1. A surviving family member said government forces had ordered the family to relocate to a "safe zone" before the strike 1. The same officials said the UAE has conducted no drone strikes in Puntland since November 2025, the U.S. now leads the anti-ISIS campaign, and no complete civilian casualty data exists 1.

Analysis
Puntland's reliance on UAE-supplied firepower exposes its forces to civilian-harm allegations that the shift to U.S.-led targeting has not resolved. Officials say Emirati drones struck without the prolonged surveillance preceding U.S. strikes, and the family had been directed into a safe zone before it was hit. That sequence could erode Bedouin cooperation in the Al-Miskaad mountains, where ISIS depends on local tolerance. The UAE still pays, trains and shares intelligence with the Puntland Maritime Police Force, so its influence persists without strike accountability. Sourcing is thin: Drop Site News is the sole outlet, resting on anonymous officials and one family's testimony. Those officials may be shifting blame or lobbying Washington rather than describing Emirati conduct neutrally.

1 sources

Drones and Death: Families Reel from the UAEs Catastrophic Strikes in War on ISIS - Drop Site News