US-Backed Airstrikes Hit Suspected al‑Shabaab Sites in Central Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia — A series of powerful airstrikes struck suspected al‑Shabaab hideouts at the edge of Somalia’s Galgaduud and Middle Shabelle regions over the weekend, according to local security sources and residents, in a fresh show of force that underscores the relentless cat‑and‑mouse campaign against the al‑Qaida‑linked insurgency.
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Details from the remote frontline remain sketchy. But multiple sources described precision strikes on Hareer Culusow, a rural settlement long used by militants as a transit hub and training ground. Witnesses reported a cluster of detonations around compounds known locally to host al‑Shabaab fighters. Casualties could not be independently verified; two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the operation, said dozens of fighters were believed killed, including mid-level commanders gathered for a meeting.
There has been no immediate public acknowledgment of the operation from Somalia’s federal government or its international partners. The United States’ Africa Command (AFRICOM) has frequently conducted air and drone strikes in Somalia, typically at the request of Mogadishu and in coordination with the Somali National Army (SNA), and often releases strike assessments after initial deconfliction and battle damage checks. As of late Sunday, no such statement had been posted.
Strikes on a shifting frontline
The borderland between Galgaduud and Middle Shabelle has become one of the fiercest battlegrounds in Somalia’s years-long war with al‑Shabaab. Somali forces, bolstered by clan-based auxiliaries and backed by foreign intelligence and airpower, have been trying to pry the group from villages and supply routes that feed attacks on district capitals like Beledweyne and smaller garrisons across central Somalia.
Hareer Culusow sits along pastoral tracks that snake through brush country and dry riverbeds. Commanders say such terrain allows militants to disperse quickly and reassemble out of sight, complicating ground offensives and making aerial surveillance vital. “This is a war of patience and persistence,” a senior security official in Mogadishu said last month, describing the rhythm of clearing operations followed by targeted strikes meant to blunt al‑Shabaab’s return.
Campaign stretches north against ISIS
The weekend’s strikes came days after separate operations in Somalia’s northeast, where forces aligned with the Northeastern State regional administration have hunted Islamic State affiliates in the Cal‑Miskaad mountains that rise along the Bari region’s crags. The U.S. has historically supported Northeastern State’s security forces with training, intelligence, and occasional airpower against ISIS cells that, while far smaller than al‑Shabaab, have mounted extortion schemes and sporadic assassinations in coastal towns.
Why it matters
- Somalia’s insurgency is resilient: al‑Shabaab has lost ground in sweeps since 2022 yet retains the ability to tax trade, intimidate rural communities, and mount complex attacks on bases and cities.
- Airpower is a force multiplier: precision strikes can disrupt leadership meetings, degrade explosives teams, and relieve pressure on overstretched Somali troops operating in remote districts.
- A regional security hinge: the Horn of Africa sits astride vital maritime routes in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. Stability inland affects counter-piracy, trade corridors, and humanitarian access.
- Human cost and accountability: civilian protection remains a central concern. The UN has repeatedly urged transparent investigations whenever air operations occur in populated areas.
Context: A long war in transition
Somalia’s fight against al‑Shabaab has entered a new phase as African Union forces recalibrate their presence and Somali commanders attempt to hold territory with a patchwork of army units, police, and local militias. The drawdown and transition of the AU mission — coupled with a national push to professionalize the SNA — has created both opportunity and risk. Officials in Mogadishu argue that a combination of ground offensives and targeted strikes has knocked al‑Shabaab off balance. The group has responded by lashing out with suicide bombings, ambushes on convoys, and raids on isolated outposts.
Airstrikes by the U.S. have ebbed and flowed over the past decade depending on legal authorizations and battlefield conditions. In recent years, AFRICOM has emphasized that strikes are conducted in collective self-defense of Somali government forces, often far from major population centers, and that initial assessments typically find no civilian casualties. Human rights groups have pressed for fuller disclosure and independent verification, citing the inherent challenges of confirming events in distant conflict zones.
For people living in central Somalia, all of it feels immediate. Markets close early when drones are heard overhead; roads fall quiet at dusk as motorists calculate the risks of moving after dark. Community elders juggle pleas to protect their clans with quiet negotiations for safe passage, while youth groups debate whether to join local security auxiliaries or keep their heads down. “Peace is life,” goes a common Somali refrain — a hope expressed as both a wish and a daily act of endurance.
Who are al‑Shabaab?
Born out of Somalia’s Islamist courts in the mid‑2000s, al‑Shabaab pledged allegiance to al‑Qaida and developed a sprawling insurgency that taxes trade, extracts “zakat” from farmers and businesses, and operates shadow courts in areas under its sway. The group has repeatedly struck targets in Somalia and neighboring countries, including Kenya, and maintains a media apparatus adept at amplifying both battlefield wins and propaganda. Analysts say its resilience stems from a mix of intimidation, patronage, and the exploitation of state fragility and clan fissures.
What to watch next
- Official confirmations: Whether AFRICOM or Somalia’s Defense Ministry releases a detailed statement with coordinates, targets, and initial casualty assessments.
- Civilian protection: Any reports from local administrations, hospitals, or aid groups about collateral damage or displacement following the strikes.
- Retaliation risks: A potential surge in roadside bombings or hit‑and‑run attacks by al‑Shabaab in nearby districts as the group tries to signal resilience.
- Follow-on operations: Signs that Somali forces are moving to clear or hold Hareer Culusow and surrounding settlements, or whether the strikes were a discrete disruption.
- Regional coordination: How the Northeastern State campaign against ISIS cells evolves alongside pressure on al‑Shabaab further south — and whether joint operations stretch militant resources thin.
Somalia’s conflict rarely offers quick conclusions. Airstrikes can tilt the calculus, forcing militants to move, hide, regroup. But the contest for authority — who taxes, who protects, who decides justice — is ultimately settled on the ground and in the everyday bargains that shape life across the scrublands of central Somalia. For now, the skies have reminded al‑Shabaab that they are being watched. The harder question is whether the government and its partners can convert moments of tactical disruption into lasting security for communities that have endured war for a generation.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
