Somali Boy Undergoes Life-Changing Surgery Funded by Readers After US Airstrike

A seven-year-old Somali boy, Abdiqadir Salah, has undergone vital surgery in Mogadishu after global readers raised funds to cover his medical care following a US drone strike that left him severely injured.

Abdiqadir was injured nearly a year ago alongside his two siblings during an attack on the village of Jamaame. A media investigation revealed that the US drone strike killed at least 12 civilians, including eight children. Shrapnel from the missile impaled Abdiqadir's body, leaving multiple pieces embedded in his back. Doctors warned that without surgery, the young boy risked losing his ability to walk.

Medical Treatment and Surgery in Mogadishu

For 10 months, Abdiqadir's mother, Marian Haji Abdi Guled, stayed in Mogadishu with her family, unable to afford the required procedure. Following coverage detailing the impact of the attack on local civilians, readers contributed enough funds within hours to cover the boy's surgery, rehabilitation, and medical care for his two siblings.

The operation took place on a Saturday morning in September at Kaafi hospital in Mogadishu. Surgeons successfully removed two pieces of shrapnel from Abdiqadir's back. However, doctors decided to leave a third piece of metal embedded, determining that removing it posed a severe risk of paralysis. Medical staff reported that the operation was complex but successful, and the boy's condition will be monitored.

Ongoing Displacement and Security Concerns

The strike in Jamaame raised significant questions regarding US military intelligence, including how targets were selected and why children in open areas were hit. The US government has not responded to inquiries regarding the Jamaame attack.

According to research by the security thinktank New America, the US carried out at least three additional airstrikes around Jamaame between December 2025 and July 2026. Local residents report that drone activity over the town persists. Due to the ongoing strikes, Guled and her family cannot return to Jamaame and plan to use the remaining donated funds to relocate to Kismayo, a government-controlled port city, where Abdiqadir can access further medical care if necessary. Guled continues to call for accountability from the US government regarding the attack on her family.