Monday November 10, 2025 (HMC) Four young siblings, all under the age of ten, were burned to death early Sunday morning after their father allegedly locked them inside their home and set it ablaze in the October neighborhood of Ahmed Dhagax district, authorities said.
Firefighters and witnesses described a horrific scene as flames engulfed the small house, trapping three boys and a girl inside. Their father, identified by neighbors only as Hamse, was reportedly seen leaving the burning home moments after setting it on fire.
“We saw the house on fire,” one witness told MMTV. “I said, ‘Hamse, get the children out of the house,’ but he replied, ‘Leave us alone,’ and then walked away.”
According to the Somaliland Fire and Rescue Service, the suspect was arrested by Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers while attempting to flee the scene. The fire brigade confirmed that the father had been in a legal dispute with his wife over their children. Only a breastfeeding infant, who was with her mother at the time, survived the blaze.
Neighbors said the couple had appeared in court earlier that morning. “The woman and the man were in court together,” said one resident. “They had just discussed the issue, and those were the children who burned later that day.”
Deeqa, another neighbor, said no one realized the children were trapped until it was too late. “We didn’t know they were alone. We heard them crying, but the fire had already spread from below. The oldest was eight,” she said.
Authorities transported the children’s bodies to Hargeisa’s main hospital as investigators continued to probe the circumstances surrounding the case.
In a statement, Brigadier General Ahmed Mohamed Hassan (Sawaxili), commander of the Somaliland Fire and Rescue Service, expressed his sorrow. “We share our deepest condolences with the bereaved family,” he said. “May God grant them comfort and peace.”
Former Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi also issued a message of condolence, calling the tragedy “a rare and shocking event that has shaken the entire community.” He extended his sympathy to the family and the nation, urging calm and compassion as authorities investigate.
The case has ignited public outrage in Hargeisa, where domestic disputes rarely end in such violence. Police say they are working to determine what drove the father to commit an act that has left the city in mourning.
Source Hiiraan Online
