Key facts
- Guardian readers funded surgery for Abdiqadir Salah, a Somali boy injured in a US airstrike.
- The US airstrike in Jamaame, Somalia, killed at least 12 civilians, including eight children.
- Abdiqadir sustained shrapnel injuries to his back.
- Two pieces of shrapnel were removed during surgery, but a third remains due to risk of paralysis.
- The US has continued airstrikes in the Jamaame area since the incident.
- Abdiqadir's mother plans to move her family to Kismayo for safety and further treatment.
Guardian readers have provided the funds for life-changing surgery for a young Somali boy, Abdiqadir Salah, who was severely injured in a US airstrike in the village of Jamaame nearly a year ago. The attack, which killed at least 12 civilians including eight children, left Abdiqadir with shrapnel embedded in his back.
His mother, Marian Haji Abdi Guled, had been unable to afford the operation to remove the shrapnel, fearing her son would lose the ability to walk. The Guardian's investigation into the incident brought the family's plight to light, prompting readers to launch a fundraising campaign. Within hours, sufficient funds were raised to cover Abdiqadir's treatment, rehabilitation, and medical expenses for his two siblings who also sustained injuries.
During the surgery in September at Kaafi hospital in Mogadishu, doctors successfully removed two pieces of shrapnel. However, the final piece was deemed too risky to remove, with the potential to cause paralysis. Doctors opted to leave it in place and monitor his condition. Weeks later, Abdiqadir reported being pain-free, though aware of the remaining metal.
The Guardian's investigation also raised questions about US military intelligence and targeting in the Jamaame attack. Despite the incident, US airstrikes in the area have continued, with at least three conducted between December 2025 and July 2026, according to New America. Guled expressed her desire for accountability from the US government and an end to bombings in her community.