Wednesday April 22, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), working with international partners, says it has killed more than 33 al-Shabab militants in a coordinated series of operations in the Guulane area of Middle Shabelle region. In a statement released Tuesday, the agency said the initial strike hit a house where senior members and fighters were gathered, killing 15 militants. NISA said the site was destroyed and had served as an important location for assembling personnel and…

Thursday April 16, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali airstrikes hit the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group across several regions, killing 54 fighters and wounding several others, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday. In a statement, the ministry said the operations took place in Hiiraan, Lower Shabelle, Bay and Lower Jubba, where the military had been tracking what it described as important militant positions over recent days. The government said the targets were identified after surveillance indicated a rise in militant activity.…

Wednesday April 15, 2026 Armed al-Shabab fighters ride on pickup trucks Somalia’s army says it has killed 27 al-Shabab fighters in what it described as a “large-scale operation,” according to the Ministry of Defence. In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said the assault took place in the autonomous state of Jubbaland and was backed by international partners who conducted air strikes. The statement did not name the international partners involved, but the United States has helped Somalia in its fight against al-Shabab in…

Tuesday April 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali national forces, working alongside regional security units and international partners, killed 27 al-Shabab fighters in a major offensive across the Middle and Lower Juba regions, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. According to the ministry, the strikes focused on militant positions in areas under the districts of Jilib, Hagar and Afmadow as ground troops pressed forward against the al-Qaida-linked group. “During the course of these ground operations, airstrikes supported by…

Friday April 10, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali National Army forces, operating alongside international partners, launched an airstrike in Somalia’s Mudug region on Thursday that the Ministry of Defense said killed about 70 al-Shabab fighters and left dozens more wounded. The intelligence-driven strike hit what officials described as a large militant assembly near Tawarmooge, about 8 kilometers south of Aad and 45 kilometers north of Harardhere in central Somalia. In a statement, the ministry said the target was a location…

Thursday April 9, 2026 London (AX) — A British man has been charged in connection with directing terrorist activity tied to the Somali militant group al-Shabab, as he prepares to appear before a court, the Metropolitan Police said Thursday. Jermaine Grant, 43, who has no fixed address, was charged after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London. Prosecutors say he directed the activities of al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked group that has long operated in Somalia. Grant faces three counts of attending an al-Shabab…

Monday April 6, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali government forces, supported by international partners, killed 12 al-Shabab fighters in a planned operation near Baidoa and Daynuunay in the Bay region, the Ministry of Defense said Monday. According to the ministry, the strike targeted militant positions around the vital corridor that connects Mogadishu and Baidoa. Several other fighters were wounded in the assault, though officials did not release additional details. The ministry said the mission was part of a wider push to…

Saturday April 4, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali security forces struck at the heart of al-Shabab’s bomb-making machinery on Saturday, killing nine militants in coordinated operations in the Lower Shabelle region, according to the National Intelligence and Security Agency. NISA said in a statement that the raids were carried out with the support of international partners and were aimed at dismantling sites used to produce improvised explosive devices, the signature weapon of the al-Qaida-linked group. The first phase of the…

Monday March 30, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s national security adviser, Awes Haji Yusuf Ahmed, has rejected accusations from Southwest State that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud backs the al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabab militant group, branding the claims unfounded and reckless. In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Ahmed said the president’s government has spearheaded major counterterrorism offensives that have weakened the insurgency and recaptured strategic areas. “Claims that President Hassan Sheikh…

Thursday March 26, 2026 Nairobi (AX) — An intelligence-driven security operation near Kenya’s border with Somalia left two suspected al-Shabab militants dead and several others wounded, police said Tuesday, as authorities tightened precautions ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday period. The Counter Terrorism Policing Unit said officers from the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) conducted the operation on the outskirts of Sarira in Mandera County, days before Eid al-Fitr celebrations last week on Friday. According to a…