Somali intelligence agency kills 26 al-Shabab fighters in Hiiraan region
A second operation focused on Mukayle, where NISA said al-Shabab fighters from a unit the group refers to as “Mutaabacada” had been intimidating civilians and stopping vehicles along the road. The agency said nine militants were killed in...
Friday May 22, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s intelligence service says it and international partners have killed 26 al-Shabab fighters in a series of coordinated military operations in the Hiiraan region, striking what officials described as key militant hideouts and support sites.
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The National Intelligence and Security Agency said Friday that the operations hit al-Shabab positions in Mahaas, Mukayle and Shaw, areas where the group had been assembling fighters, stockpiling weapons and preparing attacks.
NISA said the first strike was carried out in the Madaxya-weyn area of Mahaas district, where al-Shabab members were being gathered. Fourteen militants were killed, the agency said, and tents and shelters used for planning and concealment were destroyed by fire.
A second operation focused on Mukayle, where NISA said al-Shabab fighters from a unit the group refers to as “Mutaabacada” had been intimidating civilians and stopping vehicles along the road. The agency said nine militants were killed in that attack, including al-Shabab officers, and 16 others were wounded.
In Shaw, NISA said a third operation wiped out weapons storage locations and a repair facility used to service arms. The agency said a vehicle used by the group was also destroyed, while three al-Shabab technicians were killed.
NISA said the raids were aimed at further reducing al-Shabab’s capacity to mount attacks on civilians and government targets in central Somalia.
Hiiraan remains one of the central battlegrounds in the federal government’s offensive against al-Shabab, with Somali forces and their allies repeatedly targeting the group’s bases in Mahaas, Bulo Burde, Jalalaqsi and nearby areas.
