Monday July 13, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — In a pre-dawn operation in Lower Shabelle, Somalia’s elite Danab Commandos killed seven al-Shabab fighters, including a senior commander, the Ministry of Defence announced Monday.
The ministry said the raid came shortly after midnight in Sablaale district and targeted sites where al-Shabab elements had been entrenched.
The ministry said the commander killed in the operation had been involved in mobilizing fighters for the group.
Military officials added that forces demolished two locations the ministry says were being used to train recruits and to spread extremist ideology.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the facilities served as hubs for radicalizing individuals and promoting terrorist activity.
Both the ministry and the Somali National Armed Forces command said they will sustain operations aimed at degrading al-Shabab’s leadership, fighters and infrastructure to bolster security across Somalia.
The government said there were no casualties among Somali security forces during the raid.
Al-Shabab had not issued a public response to the operation at the time of publication.
The Sablaale operation follows a separate campaign a day earlier, in which the Somali National Army, working with international partners, conducted airstrikes that killed at least 26 al-Shabab militants in Middle Shabelle region.
Those strikes struck the group’s positions in the Adow Jilib, Gayfo and Qordheere areas, where al-Shabab was reported to be operating.
