fighters

GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland State authorities on Saturday released the names and photographs of nearly 50 foreign Islamic State fighters captured during military operations in the Calmiskaat mountains of the Bari region, days after declaring the yearlong campaign against the group largely complete. Security officials said the detainees hail from at least seven countries, underscoring the transnational reach of Islamic State’s Somalia branch. The largest contingents presented were from Ethiopia and Morocco. Ethiopia: 18…

Somali, AU and Ugandan troops kill 30-plus al-Shabab fighters in Lower Shabelle operation MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali government forces, backed by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia and Uganda’s military, killed more than 30 al-Shabab militants during a joint operation in the Lower Shabelle region, authorities said Thursday. The fighting erupted near the Bulunagaad Forward Operating Base when militants attacked Somali National Army units and AUSSOM troops conducting pursuit operations in the area,…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali National Army Danab special forces killed 15 al-Shabab militants and captured eight others in a targeted raid late Saturday in Jilib district, a long-held stronghold of the extremist group in southern Somalia, the Defense Ministry said. The overnight operation zeroed in on militant positions inside the strategic town, part of a continuing campaign to degrade al-Shabab’s leadership, logistics and capacity to launch attacks. Casualties: 15 militants killed, eight captured, according to the Defense…

MOGADISHU — Somali National Army Danab special forces, working with international partners, killed at least 20 al-Shabab fighters — including senior leaders — in a planned overnight operation in Somalia’s Bay region, the federal government said Saturday. The raid struck late Friday in the Buula Fuleey area, where the militants were assembling, according to a government statement. Officials said the target was a key gathering point for the group’s commanders in the region and described the strike as a significant blow to…

BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — Somali intelligence forces, backed by international partners, carried out a planned operation in the Tardo area of central Hiiraan region on Tuesday afternoon, killing up to nine Al-Shabaab fighters and destroying an illegal checkpoint, authorities said. In a statement released Wednesday, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the strike targeted a roadblock allegedly operated by the militant group to extort money from public transport vehicles using the route. “The operation…

Ma'awisley militia kills several al-Shabaab militants near Beledweyne in Dhoqor raid BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — Local clan militia forces known as Ma'awisley killed several al-Shabaab militants during a targeted operation Thursday in Dhoqor, an area along the Shabelle River about 25 kilometers from Beledweyne in the Hiiraan region, according to local sources. The strike, carried out by three militia members, also resulted in the seizure of weapons from two of the dead fighters, the sources said. News of the incident spread…

Beledweyne (AX) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said Monday it carried out a targeted raid with international partners in the Hiiraan region that killed seven al-Shabaab militants and destroyed a truck loaded with ammunition. In a statement, the agency said the pre-planned operation struck Biyo Madobe, a village under the Jicibow area of Hiiraan, part of a broader campaign to dismantle critical al-Shabaab positions and supply lines in central Somalia. NISA said the truck the militants were…

Puntland State deploys new forces to Al-Miskaad as campaign against ISIS-Somalia enters ‘closing phase’ BOSASO, Somalia — Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 Puntland State has deployed new military units to the Al-Miskaad mountain range in the Bari region as its yearlong campaign against the Islamic State group’s Somali branch moves into what officials describe as its closing phase. Regional authorities said Monday that hundreds of recently assigned soldiers were sent to the Baallade valley and surrounding areas to reinforce and…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali government forces captured nine villages from al-Shabab in western Hiiraan after militants withdrew ahead of a planned military advance, military officials said Sunday. The army moved into areas surrounding the El Adde settlement as part of a broader offensive to weaken the group’s long-standing hold over parts of the region. Officials said troops faced no resistance because al-Shabab fighters abandoned their positions before the units arrived. A senior officer involved in the operation said the…

BOSASO, Somalia — Puntland State’s counterterrorism forces say an airstrike carried out with international partners killed at least five fighters from the Islamic State group (ISIS) as they fled through the Cal-Miskaad Mountains, intensifying a sweeping operation in northern Somalia. Puntland State officials say the strike hit the Barakalash area of the Baalade Valley. At least five ISIS militants were killed, according to the Puntland State Counter-Terrorism Forces. Further details are expected from U.S. Africa…