NISA Operation Eliminates Al‑Shabaab Fighters in Somalia’s Hiiraan Region

BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — Somali intelligence forces, backed by international partners, carried out a planned operation in the Tardo area of central Hiiraan region on Tuesday afternoon, killing up to nine Al-Shabaab fighters and destroying an illegal checkpoint, authorities said.

In a statement released Wednesday, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the strike targeted a roadblock allegedly operated by the militant group to extort money from public transport vehicles using the route. “The operation followed credible intelligence indicating that the Khawarij militia had established an illegal checkpoint and were planning to extort money from public vehicles,” the agency said, using the government’s term for Al-Shabaab. “The mission was successfully executed and thwarted the group’s intentions.”

NISA did not specify the identities of those killed and did not mention casualties among its forces or civilians. The agency also did not name the international partners involved. Independent verification of the death toll was not immediately possible, and Al-Shabaab did not issue an immediate response to the claim.

The Tardo action underscores a continuing effort by Somali authorities to dismantle the militant group’s revenue streams, which include illegal taxation and roadblock extortion. Such checkpoints, often erected on key commercial corridors, have long disrupted trade and movement for civilians across central and southern Somalia. By targeting the alleged toll point in Hiiraan, authorities say they aimed to disrupt a local node in the group’s finances and mobility.

Hiiraan, whose capital is Beledweyne, has been a focal point of counterinsurgency operations over the past several years, with Somali security forces and allied local militias often working in tandem to push Al-Shabaab out of rural strongholds and reopen roads to traffic. While government forces have reclaimed territory in phases, the militants have retained the capacity to stage ambushes, plant improvised explosive devices and levy extortion at flashpoint junctions.

Officials framed Tuesday’s raid as a continuation of that campaign. NISA said it “remains committed to targeting Al-Shabaab members involved in threatening civilians and disrupting daily life across Somalia,” adding that follow-on operations would focus on dismantling cells tied to intimidation, extortion and attacks on public infrastructure.

The agency did not provide imagery of the destroyed checkpoint or additional operational details, such as the unit involved or whether the strike included ground forces, air assets or both. Security analysts say precise, intelligence-led raids have been central to recent government tactics aimed at minimizing disruption to civilian traffic while degrading the group’s ability to tax commerce along secondary roads.

Somalia’s security agencies routinely encourage residents to report suspicious activity along highways and market routes, where roadblocks can appear with little notice. Humanitarian groups have also warned that the sudden imposition of illegal tolls can raise prices for basic goods and delay aid delivery to communities already contending with conflict and climate shocks.

As with many battlefield claims in Somalia’s conflict, details emerging from remote locales can take time to corroborate. Authorities said monitoring would continue in the Tardo vicinity to prevent the re-establishment of the dismantled checkpoint and to secure traffic in and out of Beledweyne.

• Location: Tardo area, Hiiraan region, central Somalia
• Timeframe: Tuesday afternoon operation; statement issued Wednesday
• Casualties: Up to nine Al-Shabaab members killed, according to NISA
• Objective: Destroy an illegal checkpoint used to extort public transport
• Status: Checkpoint destroyed; figures not independently verified

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.