MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A senior Somali military commander was fatally shot by one of his own soldiers on Saturday while overseeing operations against Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants in central Somalia, a regional official said.
Colonel Abdirahman Hujale, commander of the 26th Brigade of the 27th Division of the Somali National Army, was directing reinforcements near the frontline in Moqokori, Hiran region, when he was gunned down. The assailant, a fellow soldier, was immediately detained, Moqokori District Commissioner told Universal TV.
Col. Hujale was the most senior officer leading anti-Al-Shabaab operations in the area. His death comes months after another brigade commander, Nur Farey, was similarly shot dead by a subordinate while addressing troops near Afgoye, outside Mogadishu.
The federal government has not publicly addressed either incident or commented on possible links to al-Shabaab infiltration or orchestrated assassinations. The militant group has not claimed responsibility for the killing.
The Moqokori District Commissioner did not rule out Al-Shabaab involvement in Col. Hujale’s killing but said preliminary indications suggest the soldier may have been under the influence of narcotics. He noted that drug use among government troops, even in combat zones, remains a persistent challenge.
Clashes between Somali forces, backed by allied clan militias, and Al-Shabaab insurgents continued into Sunday in the Moqokori area. Al-Shabaab claimed it killed 22 soldiers and wounded more than 40 others in the fighting. The figure could not be independently verified.
Separately, local sources reported that an airstrike intended to target al-Shabaab instead struck pro-government Mawisley clan militias, causing multiple casualties. The misfire triggered local outrage amid growing concerns over the frequency of erroneous aerial bombardments killing allied fighters rather than militants.
There was no immediate confirmation from Somali authorities regarding the airstrike or casualty figures. The government rarely comments on operational setbacks or friendly-fire incidents.
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