Seven-year-old Abdiqadir was hit in a US airstrike. Without a $750 operation, he may lose his ability to walk
Abdiqadir Salah was pierced by shrapnel in a bombing that killed 12 in Somalia. But as the US denies civilians were hurt they face no hope of compensation
TL;DR
- Abdiqadir Salah, a seven-year-old boy, was injured by shrapnel in a US airstrike in Jamaame, Somalia, on November 15, 2025.
- The airstrike killed at least 12 civilians, including eight children, and injured Abdiqadir and two of his siblings.
- Abdiqadir requires an emergency operation costing $1,000 (£750) to remove shrapnel lodged in his back and thigh to prevent him from losing the ability to walk.
- His mother, Marian Haji Abdi Guled, cannot afford the surgery and has traveled to Mogadishu with her injured son, leaving other injured children behind due to financial constraints.
- The US denies that any civilians were killed or injured during the airstrike and has not provided compensation to victims in Somalia.
- The attack raises concerns about US intelligence, target selection, and the potential for civilian harm in US counter-terrorism operations in Somalia.