Mogadishu, Somalia – Al-Shabaab on Thursday dismissed U.S. claims that a recent airstrike in northeastern Somalia killed an arms dealer for the militant group, accusing Washington of fabricating justifications for attacks that harm civilians.

Local leaders, meanwhile, identified the victim as Abdullahi Omar Abdi, a prominent clan elder, sparking protests across the Sanaag region.

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said on September 17 it had carried out a “precision strike” four days earlier near the town of Badhan in Sanaag region, targeting an al-Shabaab weapons supplier.

The command said the operation, conducted in coordination with Somalia’s federal government, aimed to degrade the group’s ability to threaten U.S. and Somali interests.

AFRICOM did not name the alleged militant and has not released evidence to support its claim, citing operational security.

The September 13 strike was the 78th U.S. operation in Somalia so far this year, already surpassing the record 63 airstrikes recorded in 2019 during Donald Trump’s first year as president, according to monitoring group Airwars.

Al-Shabaab calls claims ‘baseless’

In a statement issued by its Al-Kataib media arm, the al-Qaeda affiliate rejected AFRICOM’s account, saying the slain man “had no connection whatsoever” to its network.

“The United States has a dark history of deliberately killing Somali civilians—including respected scholars, women, and children—while hiding behind false claims of targeting militants,” the statement said. It cited a 2016 strike near Galkayo that U.S. officials described as hitting al-Shabaab fighters but which locals said killed members of a government-allied militia.

The group accused Somali officials of exploiting U.S. operations to eliminate political rivals, vowing it would not allow its name to be used as cover for attacks on civilians.

Community leaders in Badhan contradicted U.S. claims, identifying the victim as Abdullahi Omar Abdi, a respected elder known for his mediation work in clan disputes. Witnesses said three missiles struck his car as he drove toward Badhan alone.

“He was a figure of reconciliation, someone who tried to bring communities together,” one elder told Caasimada Online. “There is no reason why he would be militarily targeted.”

His killing triggered demonstrations across Sanaag, where residents accused foreign powers of meddling in Somali affairs. Some protesters also pointed at the United Arab Emirates, linking the strike to Abdi’s opposition to a resource deal that grants Abu Dhabi access to Sanaag’s mineral wealth.

Silence fuels mistrust

AFRICOM has not publicly addressed the allegation that a civilian elder was killed. Rights monitors have urged Washington to investigate and disclose whether civilian harm occurred.

Civilian casualties from U.S. drone strikes in Somalia have long been a source of friction between Washington and Somali communities. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented cases where strikes were later acknowledged to have killed non-combatants.

Airstrikes in Sanaag are rare. Most U.S. operations in Puntland have focused on the Bari region, where American forces assist local security forces battling a small Islamic State affiliate.

Somalia has faced decades of instability, with al-Shabaab controlling swathes of territory in the south and center despite an African Union peacekeeping mission and U.S. military support. The group, designated a terrorist organization by Washington and the United Nations, routinely carries out bombings and raids against government and international targets.

But disputed airstrikes threaten to undermine counterterrorism objectives, analysts say. “Every time a respected elder or civilian is wrongly killed, it strengthens al-Shabaab’s narrative and alienates local communities,” said Omar Mahmood, an analyst at the International Crisis Group.

For now, the U.S. has not presented evidence to support its claim that aan arms dealer was killed. Until it does, the controversy over who died on a lonely road in Sanaag is likely to deepen Somali mistrust of foreign military operations.