forces

Somali, Ugandan forces take Awdheegle in fresh push against al‑Shabaab Somali troops backed by Ugandan peacekeepers say they have seized control of Awdheegle, a strategic farming town on the Shabelle River about 80 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, in the latest phase of a stepped-up offensive against al‑Shabaab. The Ministry of Defense announced Saturday that the capture is a milestone in “Silent Storm,” a multi‑stage campaign to dismantle the militant group’s foothold across southern Somalia. In the hours after the…

Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab at a crossroads as funding and politics bite MOGADISHU — On a dusty frontline in Awdhegle district, where the landscape alternates between thorny scrub and rice paddies, Somalia’s military commanders are urging troops to press their advantage against Al-Shabaab even as the broader campaign faces growing uncertainty. General Sahal Abdullahi Omar, who oversees the Somali National Army’s land forces, travelled to the region this week to rally soldiers and allied African Union troops,…

Puntland State says it killed ISIS cell blamed for landmine that slain senior commander GAROWE, Somalia — Puntland State’s regional forces say they killed seven Islamic State fighters and captured one more in a mountain sweep on Sunday, striking a cell accused of planting the landmine that killed Brig. Gen. Qalyare, one of the region’s most senior officers, last week. The operation unfolded in the Dhasan area of the Cal Miskaad range, a jagged spine of rock and scrubland along Somalia’s northeast. In a brief statement,…

Has Puntland State turned the tide against Islamic State? A closer look at President Deni’s claims What the president said In a recent televised interview, Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni delivered a blunt assessment of a years‑long counter‑insurgency: he said his forces have “severely weakened” Islamic State in the northeastern Somali region of Bari, claiming more than 2,000 fighters — many foreign nationals — who once operated from the Cal Miskaad mountain range have been “largely neutralized.” Deni…

Hong Kong hunkers down as Super Typhoon Ragasa, 2025’s most powerful storm, barrels toward China coast Hong Kong shut schools, emptied offices and saw frantic supermarket runs on Wednesday as authorities sounded a high-end typhoon alert for Ragasa, the strongest tropical cyclone recorded so far this year. The observatory raised the signal to No. 8 — a warning that typically closes shops and halts much public transport — warning of hurricane-force winds offshore, heavy rain and potentially dangerous storm surge as the storm…

Somalia says airstrike kills three senior al‑Shabab commanders in Hiiraan What happened Mogadishu — Somalia’s government said Tuesday it killed three senior al‑Shabab commanders in an airstrike in the central region of Hiiraan, the latest strike in a campaign it says aims to shear away the group’s leadership and sap its battlefield strength. In a brief statement, the federal government said the operation was carried out by Somalia’s intelligence service “working with international partners,” and targeted “important…

Somali forces press offensive in central region, claim dozens of al-Shabaab fighters killed MOGADISHU — Somali National Army units, backed by international partners, said they killed a number of al-Shabaab militants over the weekend in a pitched battle in central Somalia’s Galgaduud region as government forces step up efforts to wrest control of towns and villages from the insurgents. Fighting in Nooleye In a statement, the Somali defence ministry said the operation in and around Nooleye village lasted several hours and…

Egypt announces troop deployment to Somalia, intensifying Horn of Africa contest Egypt has announced it will deploy troops to Somalia under a bilateral security agreement, a move Cairo says is intended to bolster counter‑terrorism operations and help stabilize the war‑torn Horn of Africa nation. Officials described the steps as the completion of planning for the deployment, but they provided few operational details, leaving open questions about the size, mandate and timetable of the force. What Cairo says Egyptian…

Political Heat, Border Anxiety: Who’s Really in Mandera? In the dusty markets and sparser stretches of Kenya’s northeastern frontier, a debate that began as a whisper has become a roar — and it is testing the fragile seam where local livelihoods, national politics and regional security meet. This week Nairobi dismissed claims that troops from Somalia’s Jubaland state were operating inside Mandera County, calling them “baseless rumours.” But the dispute has already deepened distrust between residents, county leaders and the…

Somalia says 12 al-Shabaab fighters killed in Galguduud raid as forces press pursuit toward El-Buur Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Friday it killed at least 12 al-Shabaab fighters, including what it described as senior figures, during a raid on a militant training site in the country’s central Galguduud region. The operation, conducted with unspecified international partners, also wounded 13 others and sent surviving militants fleeing toward the El-Buur district, according to the agency. What…