Somali army kills 70 al Shabab militants in Mudug region

Friday April 10, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somali National Army forces, operating alongside international partners, launched an airstrike in Somalia’s Mudug region on Thursday that the Ministry of Defense said killed about 70 al-Shabab fighters and left dozens more wounded.

The intelligence-driven strike hit what officials described as a large militant assembly near Tawarmooge, about 8 kilometers south of Aad and 45 kilometers north of Harardhere in central Somalia.

In a statement, the ministry said the target was a location where fighters were allegedly assembling to carry out coordinated attacks designed to undermine stability in the area and threaten civilians. Government officials characterized the operation as a preemptive move.

Initial assessments suggest roughly 70 fighters were killed, among them several senior commanders, while another 90 to 95 were injured. Those figures could not be independently confirmed.

Officials said the strike also destroyed eight vehicles, including trucks thought to be carrying weapons and other military equipment. According to the ministry, losing those vehicles dealt a blow to the group’s supply lines and weakened its ability to operate in the area.

The Ministry of Defense said it remains committed to stepping up military pressure on al-Shabab, which the government calls “Khawaarij,” its label for the al-Qaida-linked militant organization.

Mudug region remains one of the central fronts in Somalia’s wider fight against al-Shabab, which continues to mount attacks despite sustained operations by government forces and their allies.