Puntland security officials have accused the United Arab Emirates of carrying out an airstrike that killed four members of the same family and injured five others during operations against the ISIS group in the Al-Miskaad mountains of the Bari region in January 2025.
A report published by the media outlet *Drop Site* stated that the airstrike occurred on January 26, 2025, in the Togga-Xarago area, where the family of Yusuf Mohamud Salah was staying in their traditional dwelling.
Those killed in the attack were Ladan Abdi Ismail, 13-year-old Abdisamad Yusuf Mohamud, seven-year-old Mohamed Abdiqani Mohamed, and 17-year-old Hawa Ahmed Salah, who was four months pregnant.
An eight-month-old infant whom Hawa was holding in her lap survived the airstrike, according to Khadra Abdi Ismail, who lost four family members in the attack.
Four Puntland security officials confirmed to *Drop Site* that Emirati drones carried out the attack, speaking on condition of anonymity. The family had reportedly been relocated from the Dhadaar area in the Al-Miskaad mountains weeks before the airstrike, after government forces informed them that the area was occupied by ISIS fighters and instructed them to move to a designated safe zone.
The airstrike also caused severe injuries and financial loss, with the family losing six camels and 400 goats upon which their livelihood depended.
Puntland security officials stated that the aircraft used had taken off from a UAE military base at the Bosaso airport. They added that the UAE had conducted airstrikes in the Al-Miskaad mountains in early 2025, and that these operations intensified again late that year.
As officials told Drop Site, the UAE has not carried out such airstrikes within Puntland since November 2025, as the United States has taken the lead in operations against ISIS.
Puntland officials also accused the UAE of failing to always adequately verify its targets before conducting airstrikes. These allegations have not been independently verified. Meanwhile, the UAE continues to provide security support to Puntland—specifically to the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), which is responsible for maritime security operations and counter-piracy efforts. This support from the UAE encompasses training, salary payments, and the sharing of security intelligence.
Drop Site stated that it sought comment from the UAE embassy in Mogadishu and the country’s foreign ministry but received no response.
There are no comprehensive official figures regarding civilian casualties resulting from the fighting in the Al-Miskaad mountains, an area where it is difficult for journalists and human rights organizations to independently access the sites of airstrikes and combat.
