Somali forces, AU troops kill 42 al-Shabaab fighters in Lower Shabelle

Friday March 27, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) – A fierce clash in southern Somalia left more than 40 al-Shabab militants dead after the group tried to claw back control of a recently captured town, officials said Thursday.

The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), said in a statement that the fighting erupted in Mubarak, a strategic town in the Lower Shabelle region that joint Somali National Armed Forces and African Union troops seized earlier this month.

According to AUSSOM, the militants struck a forward operating base manned by Somali forces alongside Ugandan troops serving under the African Union mission. The joint force pushed back the assault, killing more than 40 militants and wounding several others. The casualty figures could not be independently verified.

Ambassador El-Hadji Ibrahima Diene, the head of AUSSOM and special representative of the African Union Commission chairperson, lauded the combined response.

“I commend the gallant efforts of AUSSOM and the SNAF troops in decisively responding and thwarting the threat during the attack,” Ambassador Diene stated. “This demonstrates the SNAF’s capacity to sustain the fight against Al-Shabaab and secure communities, and underscores AUSSOM’s commitment to the Somali-led peace, security and stability process,” Ambassador Diene added.

AUSSOM Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma said the mission would keep up counterterrorism operations across south-central Somalia in coordination with Somali security forces.

“AUSSOM troops will continue to support the Somali Security Forces to dismantle the terrorists and their networks until they are fully cleared. Somalia deserves lasting peace and stability,” Kavuma said.

Mubarak, located in Qoryoley district, is viewed as a key access point to major population centers in the Lower Shabelle region, giving it outsized importance in the contest for control.

Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked extremist group, has waged a prolonged insurgency in Somalia, striking government institutions, security forces and civilians. Somali authorities, backed by African Union forces and international partners, have stepped up operations aimed at retaking territory from the group.