Somalia’s NISA reports 23 al-Shabaab militants killed in weeklong Hirshabelle offensive

Somalia’s NISA says weeklong raids kill more than 23 Al‑Shabaab militants in Hiiraan, Middle Shabelle

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Tuesday it killed more than 23 Al‑Shabaab militants during a weeklong series of operations across the Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions, saying the raids targeted cells preparing attacks in several districts of Hirshabelle State.

NISA said the strikes, conducted in coordination with international partners, followed actionable intelligence pointing to the mobilization of fighters in Waab‑Weyn and Goobo, areas under the Mahaas district of Hiiraan. Those militants were allegedly led by a commander identified as Mustafa Caato. The agency said a separate Al‑Shabaab cell was assembling in the Maxaa Saciid area of Middle Shabelle.

The most recent action, carried out late Monday, destroyed a militant camp in Moqokori district in Hiiraan, according to NISA. The agency said fighters at the site included members of the group’s so‑called “Hisbada” units and that the facility was being used as part of preparations for planned attacks.

Key details released by NISA:

• Claimed toll: more than 23 Al‑Shabaab militants killed during weeklong operations
• Locations: Waab‑Weyn and Goobo (Mahaas district, Hiiraan); Moqokori (Hiiraan); Maxaa Saciid (Middle Shabelle)
• Alleged commander: Mustafa Caato, linked to mobilization in Mahaas‑area localities
• Method: coordinated raids following “actionable intelligence,” with international partners
• Stated aim: disrupt planned attacks and degrade Al‑Shabaab’s operational networks

Independent verification of the casualty figures was not immediately available.

The agency said it would intensify counterterrorism operations in central regions and continue efforts to “disrupt Al‑Shabaab’s operational networks and safeguard national security and stability.”

Al‑Shabaab, which is allied with al‑Qaida, has sustained an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government and has used rural strongholds in central regions such as Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle to stage attacks on government targets, security forces and civilians. Security officials say the group’s ability to disperse fighters across remote areas complicates counterinsurgency operations and heightens the need for intelligence‑led raids aimed at commanders, logistics and staging sites.

NISA’s statement did not name the international partners that took part in the weeklong operations. The agency also did not disclose further details about the timing or scale of individual strikes beyond Monday night’s reported raid in Moqokori.

Somali authorities regularly announce raids targeting Al‑Shabaab hideouts and staging areas, particularly in Hirshabelle State, where government‑held population centers sit near militant transit routes. The latest actions underscore the government’s reliance on intelligence collection and rapid strikes intended to preempt planned attacks before they reach urban districts.

While casualty claims are common in such announcements, figures released by security agencies are often difficult to confirm in real time given access constraints in contested zones. NISA said it would maintain pressure on Al‑Shabaab in the coming days as part of a broader push to limit the group’s ability to regroup and mount coordinated assaults.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.