Somali security forces have killed 45 al-Shabaab militants, including a senior commander linked to a series of mortar attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, as part of a coordinated military operation in the Hiran and Lower Shabelle regions.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) confirmed that six precision airstrikes were launched between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday in the El-Hareeri area of Hiran. The strikes, which targeted hideouts of the al-Qaeda-affiliated group, resulted in the deaths of both senior leaders and rank-and-file fighters.
Among those killed was the group’s top operative responsible for orchestrating mortar attacks on Mogadishu since 2023. According to NISA, he was neutralized in a separate targeted operation near the town of Sabib in Lower Shabelle.
A regional security official, Ahmed Mohamud, told that drones were used to strike key locations where al-Shabaab commanders were believed to be concealed.
The Somali government, which refers to al-Shabaab as “Khawarij” – a term used to denote extremist outcasts – has intensified its military campaign against the group in recent months, with growing reliance on aerial capabilities to target leadership figures.
Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency against the Somali state for over 16 years, routinely attacking security forces and public institutions. The latest offensive is part of a broader strategy to dismantle the group’s command structure and weaken its operational capacity ahead of planned national security reforms.