Guardian readers fund life-changing surgery for Somali boy injured in US airstrike
Seven-year-old Abdiqadir Salah, injured in a US drone attack in Somalia, has had an operation at Kaafi hospital in Mogadishu. The strike killed 12 civilians and wounded others, according to the article.
Guardian readers raised money for his surgery and recovery after the newspaper reported on the attack and its impact on civilians. His mother, Marian Haji Abdi Guled, said she was grateful for the support.
Doctors removed two pieces of shrapnel from Abdiqadir’s back. They decided the last fragment should stay because removing it could cause paralysis, and said they would monitor his condition.
The Guardian’s reporting raised questions about US military intelligence and how the strike’s targets were chosen. The US has not answered questions about the attack in Jamaame.
Guled says her family cannot return to Jamaame while drones remain there. Nearly a year after the bombing, she is still seeking answers from the US government.
Key points
- Guardian readers funded Abdiqadir’s operation and recovery.
- Surgeons removed two fragments; a third was left because removal risked paralysis.
- His mother says the family cannot return to Jamaame and still wants answers from the US.