in

Mogadishu — Somalia’s intelligence agency says at least 22 al-Shabab militants killed in coordinated strikes in Mudug and Hiiraan Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Saturday it killed at least 22 al-Shabab fighters, including several senior figures, in coordinated operations in the country’s central Mudug and Hiiraan regions. In a statement, the agency, known as NISA, said the operations were conducted with international partners and targeted militants allegedly planning attacks against civilians and…

Fire aboard USS Gerald R. Ford injures two; carrier remains operational in Red Sea RED SEA — Two U.S. sailors sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a fire broke out Thursday aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy said, adding the ship remains fully mission capable as it continues operations in the Red Sea. In a statement, the Navy said the blaze started and was contained in the Ford’s main laundry facility and was not combat-related. The sailors were treated and are in stable condition. “There…

Six U.S. airmen were killed when a U.S. military refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday during an in-flight incident involving another aircraft, U.S. Central Command said Friday. The military said the loss was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. Six crew members confirmed dead; investigation underway Crash involved a second aircraft that landed safely U.S. says no hostile or friendly fire; Iran-backed group claims responsibility Deaths bring U.S. toll to 13 since operations against Iran began Feb. 28…

Roadside bomb kills at least five Puntland State soldiers near Bosaso; ISIS-Somalia suspected BOSASO, Somalia — At least five Puntland State Defense Force soldiers were killed and several others wounded Friday when a roadside bomb struck a military vehicle on the highway linking Bosaso and Dhaadaar in the Al-Khalifa area, security officials said. Local authorities said they believe the attack was carried out by the Islamic State group’s Somalia affiliate, which operates in the mountainous terrain of the Bari region. The…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali police arrested a well-known female auto rickshaw driver after she joined protests over soaring fuel prices that choked key roads in the capital, lawmakers and colleagues said Thursday. The driver, identified as Sacdiyo Moalim and widely known as “Sacdiyo Bajaj,” was detained following a demonstration by Bajaj operators who rallied against steep increases in fuel costs and worsening economic conditions in Mogadishu. Authorities have not publicly explained the basis for her detention or said how…

Champions League: Bayern and Atletico seize control as Liverpool and Barcelona face uphill second legs Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid took command of their Champions League round-of-16 ties with emphatic first-leg wins Tuesday, while Liverpool and Barcelona were left with narrow margins and nagging regrets heading into decisive returns next week. On a high-scoring night across Europe, Bayern thrashed Atalanta 6-1 in Bergamo despite starting without top scorer Harry Kane. Atletico punished Tottenham’s goalkeeping gamble to…

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s opposition-aligned Somali Future Council on Wednesday condemned what it described as the use of force against Bajaj drivers protesting soaring fuel prices in the capital, as well as the arrest of some drivers and journalists covering the demonstration. In a statement, the council said the drivers had been peacefully expressing grievances over sharp increases in fuel costs and should not have faced intimidation or detention. “It is unacceptable that young people who are creating jobs and contributing to…

Thursday March 12, 2026 HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia (AX) — Israel is weighing the establishment of a strategic base in North Western State of Somalia to help counter Yemen’s Houthi movement, according to a Bloomberg report published Wednesday that cites unnamed North Western State of Somalia officials and people familiar with the talks. The exploratory assessments have focused on sites along North Western State of Somalia’s northern coastline, including elevated terrain west of the port city of Berbera — about…

SHALANBOOD, Somalia — The sand moves like a tide here, swallowing lanes, schools and low-slung homes on the edge of the Indian Ocean. Among the dunes, hundreds of farming families who fled Lower Shabelle’s contested villages are piecing together life in makeshift shelters, rationing water by the cup as fighting and failed rains erase the certainty of the past. Families from Mushani, Garilow and Barire streamed into the outskirts of Shalanbood in November after government forces and African Union troops clashed with Al-Shabab…

Iran lays mines in Strait of Hormuz; U.S. says it struck Iranian minelayers as oil prices whipsaw Iran has begun laying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, according to two people familiar with U.S. intelligence. The move escalates a high-stakes standoff in a waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of global crude oil and has already been largely closed to commercial traffic amid the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The mining remains limited for now — a few…