Somali Cabinet Commends SNA for Killing 130 al-Shabaab Militants in Lower Juba Region

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Council of Ministers on Thursday praised the national army and said more than 130 al-Shabab militants were killed during a 24-hour battle that repelled a major assault on the coastal town of Kudhaa in the Lower Juba region.

Officials described the operation as a decisive security victory, saying government troops thwarted what they called a desperate attempt by the al-Qaida-linked group to seize the strategic town. Authorities said the swift response prevented civilian casualties and restored stability in surrounding areas.

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre separately commended elite Danab commandos and Jubbaland regional forces, who led the ground response after militants launched a coordinated assault on military positions in Kudhaa. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said the forces demonstrated “courage, resilience and patriotism,” adding that their actions protected the country’s security and defeated a serious threat to local communities.

“The soldiers once again proved their readiness to sacrifice their lives to defend the Somali state and safeguard the people from terrorist violence,” the statement said.

According to officials, the fighting stretched beyond 24 hours and involved intense ground combat as Somali forces, supported by regional allies, pushed back militants attempting to overrun the town. The government said the operation resulted in heavy losses for al-Shabab and brought the area fully under government control.

The Cabinet’s account underscored the growing role of Somalia’s special forces in frontline operations. Barre said the outcome reflected increasing professionalism within the security services, singling out the U.S.-trained Danab special forces and Jubbaland units as central to efforts to dismantle al-Shabab’s operational capacity and degrade the group’s ability to threaten population centers.

Kudhaa, a coastal community in the Lower Juba region, sits near maritime approaches and inland routes that al-Shabab has sought to disrupt as part of its campaign to undermine the federal government. The group has frequently targeted military bases and coastal towns in southern Somalia, testing defensive lines and attempting to intimidate local communities with high-profile raids.

Somali authorities said the latest attack fit that pattern but failed due to a coordinated counteroffensive. Officials said units held their positions under heavy fire and then mounted counterattacks to clear militants from the town’s outskirts, enabling forces to consolidate control and stabilize the area. No details were provided on government casualties.

The confrontation comes as Somali security forces, backed by regional and international partners, intensify operations in Lower Juba and other southern regions to secure key towns and supply routes. Officials say the goal is to build on recent gains and deny al-Shabab freedom of movement, particularly around coastal corridors where the group has sought to project strength through hit-and-run assaults.

Thursday’s announcement is the latest signal from Mogadishu that the security campaign is moving into a sustained phase, with Somali units carrying a larger share of combat operations. While the government credited quick decision-making and coordination among national and regional forces for containing the threat in Kudhaa, it also framed the battle as part of a longer-term push to erode al-Shabab’s capacity to plan and execute complex attacks.

Authorities did not specify whether operations would continue in areas beyond Kudhaa, but they indicated that security forces remain on heightened alert across Lower Juba to deter potential follow-on attacks and protect civilians and critical infrastructure.

By Ali Musa Axadle Times international–Monitoring.

Friday January 23, 2026