Somalia Intelligence Raid Kills 33 in Al-Shabaab Gathering

MOGADISHU, April 22, 2026 – Somalia’s intelligence service said Wednesday that coordinated operations backed by international partners left at least 33 Al-Shabaab fighters dead in the country’s central Middle Shabelle region.

The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the “planned operations” were carried out in the village of Guulane, where militants were reportedly meeting to organize a new round of attacks.

In a statement, NISA said the first precision strike hit a house being used by senior commanders and foot soldiers. The agency said 15 militants were killed in that blast, and intelligence officials said they had credible information indicating that nearly 90 fighters had gathered in Guulane before the raid. The strike, the statement said, destroyed a site used for “mobilising fighters and planning acts of terror.”

“Follow-up operations then targeted additional militants attempting to take cover in the surrounding area, resulting in the deaths of more than 18 further fighters,” the statement added.

Security forces also said they destroyed a pickup truck fitted with a machine gun, a vehicle commonly used by the Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents to move fighters and supplies.

Intelligence officials said they had received credible information that nearly 90 fighters were assembled in Guulane before the operation began.

The Somali government has been waging what it describes as a “total war” against the Islamist group since 2022 and regularly carries out such missions with foreign allies, usually involving US drone strikes or Turkish air support, in an effort to curb Al-Shabaab’s capacity to attack Mogadishu.

NISA also used its statement to renew a public appeal, urging residents to call designated hotlines if they spot movements by Al-Shabaab or by the smaller Islamic State (ISIS) presence in Somalia.

Al-Shabaab has fought for more than 17 years to overthrow Somalia’s fragile central government. Although it has been driven from many major cities, the group still maintains a deadly foothold in rural parts of central and southern Somalia.

AXADLETM