U.S.-Trained Danab Forces Strike Al-Shabaab Positions in Southern Somalia
BAIDOA, Somalia — Somalia’s Danab special forces killed 14 Al-Shabaab fighters during a planned operation on Saturday in the Bula Fulaay area of Bay region, the Somali military said.
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The raid focused on positions the militants had allegedly set up in secret and were using to coordinate and prepare attacks in surrounding areas, according to a statement from the Somali armed forces command.
Military officials said the operation also led to the recovery of a large quantity of weapons from the targeted sites.
Images and reports associated with the raid showed soldiers at the location, alongside the bodies of several militants reportedly killed during the fighting.
The mission forms part of a series of planned Danab operations in Bay aimed at dismantling Al-Shabaab positions and concealed bases.
The elite Somali unit has taken part in repeated offensives against Al-Shabaab as government forces work to reduce the group’s foothold across central and southern Somalia.
Bay remains one of the regions where Al-Shabaab retains a significant presence, despite sustained campaigns by Somali forces and their international partners.
The group continues to launch attacks and operate hidden positions in rural areas, using those sites to organise assaults against government forces and civilian targets.
Saturday’s raid came as Somalia seeks to expand the role of its own security forces in the fight against armed groups and gradually lessen its dependence on foreign military assistance.
The Somali government has identified the strengthening of specialised units such as Danab as a central part of its effort to reclaim territory controlled or contested by Al-Shabaab.
The military did not say how many troops took part in Saturday’s operation or indicate whether any militants fled the targeted positions.
It also gave no immediate account of possible casualties among Somali forces or civilians.
The reported militant death toll could not be independently confirmed, and Al-Shabaab had not immediately commented on the operation.
Bay region has repeatedly witnessed military raids, air strikes and clashes involving Somali government troops, local fighters and international partners seeking to weaken Al-Shabaab.
The group remains one of Somalia’s most serious security threats and has continued to carry out deadly attacks despite years of military efforts to dismantle its networks.
Somali authorities have vowed to sustain pressure through coordinated ground assaults, intelligence-led operations and assistance from international partners.
Saturday’s operation underscores the continuing campaign in Bay, where government forces are trying to disrupt Al-Shabaab’s operational networks and stop attacks from reaching nearby communities.
AXADLETM
