Mogadishu — Somalia’s intelligence agency says at least 22 al-Shabab militants killed in coordinated strikes in Mudug and Hiiraan
Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Saturday it killed at least 22 al-Shabab fighters, including several senior figures, in coordinated operations in the country’s central Mudug and Hiiraan regions.
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In a statement, the agency, known as NISA, said the operations were conducted with international partners and targeted militants allegedly planning attacks against civilians and security forces. The agency did not specify the date of the strikes but said they were carried out in separate locations hours apart.
The first operation struck the Dumaaye area of Mudug, where NISA said al-Shabab fighters and senior leaders had gathered. Fifteen members of the group were killed there, according to the statement. NISA identified several of those killed as senior figures: Hudeyfa Galinle, Qataatow, Abdirahman Garwayne, Dahir and Abdiwali.
In a separate strike in the Mahas district of Hiiraan, NISA said two houses used by fighters serving as guards for Mustafa Caato — described by the agency as al-Shabab’s regional leader — were targeted. Seven fighters were killed in that operation, including two men identified as key financial operatives, Qaliif Mumin Sabriya and Osman Abdulle Farah, NISA said. Vehicles used by the group’s leadership were also destroyed.
NISA framed the strikes as part of a continuing effort to disrupt al-Shabab’s command, logistics and financing networks across central Somalia. The agency linked the targets to planned attacks on civilians and Somali security forces but did not provide further details about the alleged plots.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked extremist group, has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for more than 16 years, frequently carrying out bombings and targeted assassinations across central and southern Somalia. The organization retains the capacity to stage complex attacks, even as Somali forces — often backed by international partners — seek to degrade its leadership and limit its freedom of movement.
Saturday’s announcement underscores Somalia’s ongoing reliance on coordinated intelligence-led operations to pressure the group’s middle and top tiers. While battlefield claims from conflict zones are often difficult to independently verify, the named individuals and the emphasis on financial enablers highlight a campaign focused not only on military commanders but also on the networks that sustain al-Shabab’s operations.
The Mudug and Hiiraan regions have been the scene of regular clashes between government-aligned forces and al-Shabab cells, with Mahas — an important town in Hiiraan — serving as a strategic node for movements between central districts. Dumaaye, in Mudug, has seen periodic militant activity and counterinsurgency operations aimed at denying the group safe havens.
Somalia’s government continues to urge residents in conflict-affected areas to cooperate with security agencies, citing recent operations that it says have disrupted attack planning and logistics. Al-Shabab did not immediately comment on NISA’s claims.
Authorities did not release information on potential collateral damage or arrests linked to the operations. Further details were not immediately available.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
