A recent Facebook post has been debunked as false by PesaCheck, a fact-checking initiative. The post claimed that former Somali Custodial Corps Commander General Mahad Abdirahman Aden lost a leg and an arm in a reported drone airstrike that targeted his home. The post featured an image showing Aden with his right forearm and leg amputated. However, PesaCheck found the image to be AI-generated and therefore fabricated.
According to local media reports, a drone attacked General Aden's home in Dolow District, Somalia's Gedo region. The attack occurred on the night of 3-4 September 2026. General Aden suffered minor injuries in the attack, as reported by several sources. The Somali federal government denied involvement in the reported drone strike, citing preliminary information that indicated the explosions were caused by explosives being prepared inside the house.
PesaCheck conducted a Google reverse image search, which yielded no credible results. A video interview with General Mahad Abdirahman Aden was also examined, in which he spoke about the incident at his home in Dolow District. In the video, Aden showed no visible injuries, contradicting the claim that he had lost an arm and a leg. This finding further supports the conclusion that the image is fabricated.
A closer review of the image reveals several AI-related flaws. These include irregular medical equipment, questionable anatomical details around the amputated limbs, and distorted background features. The medical staff in the background also appear unusually blurred, particularly around their hands and arms and where they interact with the hospital bed and equipment.
The incident has sparked significant attention in Somalia, particularly given the ongoing electoral dispute. The Somali government has pledged to appoint a fact-finding committee to investigate the incident. In contrast, the opposition group has strongly condemned the reported attack. General Mahad is considered a close ally of former South West State president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen.
The fabricated image and false claims have been shared on multiple social media platforms. PesaCheck is part of an ongoing series of fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms. By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction.
PesaCheck's fact-checking initiative is an effort to help the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements. The organisation seeks to provide deeper insight and context to posts seen in social media feeds. PesaCheck was co-founded by Catherine Gicheru and Justin Arenstein and is being incubated by Code for Africa, the continent's largest civic technology and data journalism accelerator.
Key points
- The image of General Aden with amputated limbs is AI-generated and fabricated.
- General Aden suffered minor injuries in the drone attack, but did not lose a leg and an arm.
- PesaCheck's fact-checking initiative aims to help the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements.
