Somalia says 250 al-Shabab fighters killed in foiled assault on Kudhaa Island
Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026
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MOGADISHU — Somali officials said Sunday that about 250 al-Shabab militants were killed in a failed bid to overrun Kudhaa, a coastal town on an island in the Lower Juba region, in one of the deadliest reported setbacks for the group in recent months.
Hassan Nur Abdi, the governor of Badhaadhe district, which includes Kudhaa Island, said government and allied forces repelled a coordinated assault and launched pursuit operations in surrounding areas. “The enemy attacked us and we pushed them back decisively,” Abdi said, adding that the confirmed death toll among al-Shabab fighters had risen to 250 and was “verified” by authorities. The figure could not be independently confirmed.
Abdi said eight militants were captured and at least eight combat vehicles destroyed during the fighting. He described the losses as “irreparable” for the insurgent group and said he did not believe al-Shabab would be able to reconstitute in Jubbaland “in the near future.” Somali officials often refer to al-Shabab as “Khawarij,” a pejorative term used by the government.
Government troops, including elite Danab commandos and Jubbaland regional forces, responded to the attack with sustained ground operations supported by international partners, officials said. Security forces were continuing to track survivors to prevent them from regrouping, while local authorities reported that calm had returned to Kudhaa and that displaced residents were beginning to come home.
Al-Shabab did not immediately comment on the reported toll. The group, which frequently carries out complex attacks on military targets and infrastructure across southern Somalia, rarely acknowledges losses on this scale.
- Casualties: Somali officials say about 250 al-Shabab fighters were killed; the count has not been independently verified.
- Captures and materiel: Eight militants detained; at least eight militant vehicles destroyed, according to authorities.
- Forces involved: Somali National Army units, Danab commandos and Jubbaland regional forces, with support from international partners.
- Aftermath: Pursuit operations underway; local officials say Kudhaa’s security has stabilized and civilians are returning.
The Kudhaa battle underscores intensified government operations across Lower and Middle Juba aimed at dismantling al-Shabab strongholds and securing key coastal and rural corridors. Control of island and littoral terrain in the region is strategically significant for supply routes and surveillance, and Somali officials have sought to degrade the group’s ability to stage raids from remote hideouts.
If confirmed, the number of militants reported killed would mark one of the largest single-operation losses publicly attributed to al-Shabab in the south this year. In past offensives, casualty figures in Somalia have varied widely between government accounts and militant claims, underscoring the fog of war in areas where independent access is limited.
Authorities urged residents in Lower Juba to cooperate with security forces as operations continue, and said they were working with local leaders to assess humanitarian needs for those briefly displaced by the clash.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
