Somali forces kill 42+ al-Shabaab militants, including two ringleaders, in operations
According to the agency, Macalin served as the group’s key point for trafficking weapons and explosives into Somalia.
Mohamed DhaysaneSaturday March 28, 2026
Somali forces, backed by international partners, carried out coordinated strikes on Thursday that killed more than 42 al-Shabaab fighters, including two senior figures, while leaving several others injured across operations in Middle Juba and Lower Shabelle, officials said.
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In one of the joint actions, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said it killed Abdihamid Ali Abdullahi Macalin, an al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab commander responsible for handling international terror liaison. NISA said the operation was planned and executed in coordination with partners.
According to the agency, Macalin served as the group’s key point for trafficking weapons and explosives into Somalia.
In a separate operational claim, NISA said the same day’s efforts resulted in the death of Suleyman Omar Fidow, described as al-Shabaab’s intelligence chief and commander of its suicide bombers.
The statement said Fidow was preparing to assume leadership of the group’s “division” tasked with collecting explosives after Engineer Ismail was killed in Dec. 2025.
NISA said the two al-Shabaab leaders were targeted during operations in the Jilib district of Middle Juba and in the Ugunji area of Lower Shabelle.
Separately, the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF), in cooperation with Ugandan peacekeepers, killed more than 40 al-Shabaab fighters on Thursday, according to the Defense Ministry. The ministry added that many others were injured during clashes in Lower Shabelle.
The fighting unfolded as militants attempted an attack on Mubarak, a strategic agricultural town that had been liberated from al-Shabaab during military operations conducted during Ramadan.
Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 16 years, repeatedly striking security personnel, government officials, and civilians.
Since last July, Somali forces, supported by AUSSOM (African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia) and other international partners, have intensified operations against the group that backs the central government’s opponents.
In December, the UN Security Council renewed AUSSOM’s mandate for another year, approving a UK-backed resolution that extends authorization until Dec. 31.