Somalia strikes kill Al Shabab’s chief bomb-maker, report says
FILE PHOTO: Somalia has been making gains against the al Shabab terrorist group. / AA Somali intelligence forces, working alongside international troops, killed at least nine Al Shabab terrorists in a शनिवार operation in the southern Lower Shabelle...
Sunday April 5, 2026
FILE PHOTO: Somalia has been making gains against the al Shabab terrorist group. / AA
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Somali intelligence forces, working alongside international troops, killed at least nine Al Shabab terrorists in a शनिवार operation in the southern Lower Shabelle region, among them specialists linked to bomb-making, authorities said.
The raid also destroyed six heavy engines used by the militant group to produce explosives, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said in a statement.
NISA identified two of those killed as “senior commanders”: Abiikar Nuur, who was responsible for engines and vehicles, and Abdifitah Mohamed Hassan, the lead mechanic tasked with preparing car bombs.
“These planned operations are part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Khawarij bases and organizational networks, while preventing future terrorist plots,” the agency said.
The Somali government uses the term Khawarij to refer to Al Shabab.
Al Shabab has waged a violent campaign against the Somali government for more than 16 years, with attacks often aimed at security forces, officials and civilians.
Since July last year, the Somali army has intensified operations against the group with support from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and other international partners backing the central government.
In December, the UN Security Council renewed AUSSOM’s mandate for another year, with a UK-backed resolution extending authorization through Dec. 31.