Somali and African Union troops launch joint offensive, killing over 30 al-Shabaab militants

Somali, AU forces kill more than 30 al-Shabaab militants in joint strikes near Bulunugaad

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali and African Union forces, alongside Ugandan troops, killed more than 30 al-Shabaab militants and wounded several others in coordinated air and ground strikes in southern Somalia on Thursday, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) said.

The operation, conducted near the Bulunugaad forward operating base in Lower Shabelle and supported by international partners, targeted entrenched al-Shabaab positions to degrade the group’s operational capacity, according to the mission. AUSSOM said the strikes were part of an ongoing push to clear militant strongholds and disrupt insurgent mobility across the region.

The action followed a series of attacks by militants on Somali and AU forces pursuing al-Shabaab fighters who had been driven from coastal towns during the Somali army-led Operation Hidden Sword. The renewed tempo aims to consolidate recent territorial gains and prevent militants from regrouping in rural corridors of Lower Shabelle, a long-contested area south of the capital.

“AUSSOM and Somali forces remain committed to weakening al-Shabaab and advancing lasting peace, stability, and security across the Horn of Africa,” the mission said in a statement.

Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with al-Qaida, has fought the Somali government for more than 16 years and routinely targets security forces, government officials and civilians with ambushes, bombings and assassinations. The group maintains the capacity to mount complex attacks despite sustained pressure from Somali forces and their allies.

Since July 2025, Somali troops, backed by AUSSOM and other international partners, have intensified operations against the group, expanding joint offensives that pair ground maneuvers with precision air support. Thursday’s strikes near Bulunugaad are the latest in a sequence of operations designed to squeeze the insurgents’ logistics and degrade their command structure.

The African Union mission’s mandate was renewed by the U.N. Security Council in December 2025, with a U.K.-backed resolution extending authorization through Dec. 31, 2026. That extension underpins ongoing joint operations and provides a framework for continued international support as Somali forces work to stabilize newly recovered areas and protect key population centers.

Authorities did not immediately release further details about the militants targeted or specific equipment destroyed in the strikes. AUSSOM framed the operation as part of a broader campaign to deny al-Shabaab staging grounds and to protect routes linking urban hubs to rural districts across Lower Shabelle.

Thursday’s action underscores the coalition’s emphasis on coordinated battlefield pressure as Somali units consolidate advances made during Operation Hidden Sword and try to prevent a militant resurgence in the south. The mission said further operations would continue in tandem with Somali security forces to maintain momentum against the insurgency.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.