GAROWE, Somalia — August 23, 2026 — More than seven people have reportedly been killed and several others wounded in an airstrike on Jiifle, a coastal settlement in Jariiban district near Somalia’s Nugaal coastline, according to preliminary reports from the area. No country or military force has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Local reports said the strike hit Jiifle on Sunday, causing multiple deaths and injuries. The precise number of casualties could not immediately be established, and the identities of those killed were not available.

It remains unclear what was targeted, which type of aircraft carried out the operation or whether the casualties were civilians, suspected pirates or members of another armed group.

No information was immediately available about where the wounded were taken for treatment or whether rescue teams had reached the affected site. Coastal settlements in northeastern Somalia are often far from major hospitals, complicating emergency medical assistance.

The reported attack would be the third aerial strike recorded along the Nugaal coast during August, following earlier operations near Garmaal that Puntland authorities said killed civilians.

The latest casualty figures and circumstances surrounding the Jiifle strike have not been independently verified.

Jariiban district is administratively part of Somalia’s Mudug region under Puntland, although Jiifle lies near the coastline commonly described in local reporting as part of the wider Nugaal coastal area.

The settlement’s remote location and limited communications have made it difficult to obtain independent accounts of the reported attack.

Casualties and humanitarian concerns

Local sources reported that more than seven people died and an unspecified number were wounded. They did not provide evidence identifying the victims or explaining why they were at the location when the strike occurred.

There were no immediate reports of damage to homes, fishing boats or other civilian property. Authorities had also not announced whether an assessment team would be sent to Jiifle.

Residents of coastal communities have raised concerns about the danger unclaimed aerial operations pose to fishermen and other civilians. Fishing is an important source of food and income across the Puntland coast, where residents frequently travel in small vessels similar to those used by armed groups involved in piracy.

Puntland response to earlier strikes

Puntland authorities had not issued a statement specifically addressing the reported Jiifle attack at the time of publication.

The Puntland Ministry of Security, however, condemned earlier airstrikes near Garmaal in a statement released following operations reported between August 18 and 20.

The regional administration said four civilians were killed and two others wounded in those attacks. It described the victims as fishermen and called on the country responsible to explain the purpose of the operations. The identity and status of the victims have not been independently established.

Puntland did not identify the military force it believed conducted the earlier strikes. No foreign government publicly accepted responsibility for them.

The Garmaal operations followed the reported hijacking of the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel MV Lutuf off the northeastern Somali coast on August 17. Initial reports linked some of those targeted to suspected piracy, while residents and Puntland authorities described them as civilians.

No verified information has established a connection between the reported Jiifle attack and the earlier strikes or the hijacked vessel.

The waters off Puntland have faced renewed piracy concerns, with armed groups accused of targeting commercial vessels using routes near the Horn of Africa.

International naval forces have conducted counter-piracy patrols in the region for years. Somalia’s international security partners also conduct aerial operations against Al-Shabaab and Islamic State militants, although such missions are usually announced when operational considerations permit.

No authority has said the reported Jiifle strike targeted either militant group.

Questions over responsibility for recent attacks have increased pressure on Puntland and Somalia’s federal government to clarify which foreign forces are authorized to conduct operations along the country’s coastline.

If confirmed, the latest casualties would deepen concern about repeated and unclaimed airstrikes in northeastern Somalia. The absence of an identified responsible party makes it difficult to establish the intended target, legal basis for the operation or measures taken to protect civilians.

Repeated strikes could also affect fishing and movement along the coast. Residents may avoid coastal waters if they fear that fishing vessels or gatherings near the shoreline could be misidentified as security threats.