MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali government forces, backed by international partners, have killed at least 150 Al-Shabab militants in more than two weeks of operations in the Middle Shabelle region, Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said Tuesday.
Fiqi said the campaign concentrated on the Jabad Godane area and surrounding settlements, which he described as a strategic militant hub. He said the dead included six senior commanders of the al-Qaida-linked group.
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“By the grace of God and the bravery of the National Army, and with the support of our international friends, we have cleared the Khawarij enemy from the Jabad Godane area,” Fiqi told reporters, using the government’s term for Al-Shabab. “Between 120 and 150 militants were killed in these operations, including six leaders.”
The defense minister said the Middle Shabelle push is part of a broader offensive extending across central and southern Somalia. He pointed to recent fighting in the Kudhaa area of Lower Juba, where officials have said more than 200 Al-Shabab fighters were killed after government and allied forces repelled a prolonged assault.
Fiqi praised the performance of Somalia’s elite Danab units and allied Jubbaland regional forces in both theaters, arguing the outcomes reflect improving battlefield capability. “These victories show that the National Army is capable of defending the country,” he said, dismissing critics who have questioned the army’s strength and cohesion.
He also thanked Türkiye and the United States for support that he said included airstrikes, intelligence sharing and military equipment used in the operations. Somali forces have increasingly paired ground maneuvers with precision strikes to hit Al-Shabab positions, supply caches and command nodes, officials say.
Al-Shabab has not commented on the government’s casualty figures. The group, which controls swaths of rural territory and routinely launches raids on military bases and towns, rarely acknowledges losses reported by authorities. Casualty claims from conflict zones are often difficult to independently verify, and the government did not provide evidence supporting the tallies or details about any military losses.
The Middle Shabelle operations targeted a stretch of terrain where Al-Shabab has long leveraged riverine cover, local networks and road choke points to tax commerce, stage ambushes and funnel reinforcements. Clearing Jabad Godane, named after a late Al-Shabab leader, is aimed at disrupting those logistics and loosening the group’s hold over transit routes connecting central and southern regions.
Somalia’s federal government has stepped up its campaign against Al-Shabab over the past year, seeking to dismantle remaining strongholds while consolidating security gains with local clan militias and regional forces. Officials have framed the multipronged push as essential to restoring state authority, reopening trade corridors and preparing communities for the return of basic services.
Even as authorities tout gains, Al-Shabab remains capable of mounting large, coordinated attacks and exploiting security gaps. Analysts say sustained pressure, reliable logistics and governance in newly recovered areas will be critical if recent battlefield gains in Middle Shabelle and Lower Juba are to hold.
Fiqi offered no timeline for the next phase of operations but signaled that joint actions with international partners will continue. “We will keep pursuing them until our people are safe,” he said.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
