KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland security forces killed more than 60 al-Shabab fighters, including senior operatives, in a four-day operation targeting militant strongholds in Lower Juba, regional officials said Sunday.
The offensive, centered on the Lagta Hola–Wajeer area of Badhaadhe district, struck what authorities described as the “Black Sea,” a dense, forested zone long used by the group as a staging ground for attacks. The push was led by Jubaland’s security director, Mohamed Ahmed Sabriye, known as “Basaam,” and supported by air power from international partners, according to regional officials.
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Security authorities said forces recovered the bodies of 60 fighters and seized a cache of weapons and equipment from militant positions and hideouts. The items included:
- Land mines and improvised explosive devices
- Communications gear
- Other military supplies
Jubaland TV reported that several al-Shabab facilities were destroyed in the operation, including logistics hubs, weapons depots, bomb-making sites and communications centers. Officials said those locations had been used to coordinate attacks against civilians and security installations, including a recent assault in Kudhaa.
Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe, who is in Mogadishu for political consultations, praised security forces for what he called a decisive blow against the militant group. He pledged that operations would continue until al-Shabab is pushed out of Lower Juba.
The four-day campaign adds to sustained pressure on al-Shabab in southern Somalia, where the group maintains pockets of influence despite periodic military offensives. Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-affiliated organization, has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for more than 15 years, using a mix of guerrilla tactics, coordinated assaults and bombings to target civilians and security forces.
Regional officials framed the strikes on the “Black Sea” as an effort to degrade the group’s capacity to mount cross-district operations and to disrupt its logistics and communications networks. The dense terrain of Lower Juba’s rural corridors has historically provided al-Shabab with cover for training, movement and weapons storage, complicating conventional counterinsurgency efforts.
Authorities did not immediately provide additional details about the operational timeline or the extent of air support involved. They said follow-on operations were planned to secure the cleared areas and to deny militants the ability to reconstitute in the Badhaadhe corridor.
Sunday’s announcement underscores Jubaland’s bid to tighten security around strategic districts in Lower Juba and to blunt the group’s capacity to threaten civilians and public infrastructure. Officials said security forces would maintain pressure on remaining militant cells as part of a broader regional effort aligned with federal counterterrorism objectives.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
