‘Key members’ of terrorist group killed in Somalia

Dozens of Al-Shabaab militants were killed in recent operations, with weapons and military equipment also seized, the Defense Ministry has said

Somali government forces, backed by regional troops, have killed 27 fighters of Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab in a large-scale offensive in the semi-autonomous state of Jubaland, the East African nation’s authorities have confirmed.

The operation targeted areas under Jilib, Hagar, and Afmadow, with ground forces advancing on militant positions while airstrikes by “international partners” were carried out in parallel, Somalia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Among those killed were “key members of the terrorist group,” the ministry said, adding that troops had also “seized weapons and military equipment, including BKM machine guns, RPGs, and AK-47 rifles, as well as landmines that the terrorists had intended to use against civilians.”

Last month, Mogadishu said the National Intelligence and Security Agency had carried out a raid in the Hantiwadaag area of Awdheegle district in the Lower Shabelle region, killing a senior leader of the Islamist militant group. Officials said the man, who was known by several aliases, including Kamaludin Yunis Mohamed, had been a “key” planner behind a series of deadly attacks, including the six-hour siege on Godka Jilacow prison near the presidential palace in Mogadishu in October 4, 2025.

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Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency in the Horn of Africa country since 2007, seeking to overthrow the fragile federal government and establish its own rule based on a hardline interpretation of Sharia law. The group controls large swaths of land in Somalia’s southern and central regions, carrying out sporadic bombings and gun attacks on civilians and military infrastructure despite repeated offensives by national forces, African Union troops and other foreign partners, including the US.

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While the Defense Ministry did not disclose the foreign partners involved in the latest operation, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has announced multiple airstrikes against Al-Shabaab in coordination with Mogadishu since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.

In a statement on Wednesday, AFRICOM said it carried out an airstrike targeting Al-Shabaab on April 13 near Mido, about 90 km northwest of Kismayo.

”AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade al-Shabaab’s ability to threaten US forces and our citizens abroad,” it added.