Killing

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Council of Ministers on Thursday praised the Somali Armed Forces for killing more than 130 al-Shabab militants during a 24-hour operation that repelled a major attack on the coastal town of Kudhaa in the Lower Juba region. In a statement, the Cabinet called the offensive a decisive security victory, saying government forces thwarted a “desperate attempt” by the al-Qaida-linked group to seize the strategic town. Officials said the swift response prevented civilian casualties and restored…

North Western State of Somalia police arrest suspects in Salal double killing; manhunt underway Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026 HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — North Western State of Somalia police have arrested several suspects in the killing of two men in the Salal region and launched a manhunt for others believed to be involved, authorities said Tuesday. The victims, identified as Yusuf Abdillaahi Hussein and Mustafa Jama Farah, were shot dead on Jan. 18 in the Indho-Biraale area of Salal. Police said preliminary…

HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Police in North Western State of Somalia have arrested several suspects in connection with the killing of two men in the Salal region and launched a manhunt for others believed to be involved, authorities said Tuesday. The victims, identified as Yusuf Abdillaahi Hussein and Mustafa Jama Farah, were shot and killed Jan. 18 in the Indho-Biraale area of Salal, according to the North Western State of Somalia Police Force. Preliminary reports indicate that armed men opened fire on the…

Somali, AU forces kill more than 30 al-Shabaab militants in joint strikes near Bulunugaad MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali and African Union forces, alongside Ugandan troops, killed more than 30 al-Shabaab militants and wounded several others in coordinated air and ground strikes in southern Somalia on Thursday, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) said. The operation, conducted near the Bulunugaad forward operating base in Lower Shabelle and supported by international partners, targeted entrenched al-Shabaab positions…

Human Rights Watch Urges Guinean President to Pursue Justice for 2009 Massacre Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Guinean President Mamady Doumbouya to advance accountability for the September 28, 2009, massacre and "lay the groundwork for credible and fair justice" regarding ongoing rights abuses in the country. This appeal follows the death in custody of Claude Pivi, a former minister for presidential security, on January 6, 2026. Pivi was among several officials convicted in a landmark trial for the killings and…

At least 28 people were killed and 80 others injured when a passenger train derailed in northeastern Thailand after a construction crane fell onto three of its carriages, authorities said. The crash occurred in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, about 230 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. The train was traveling from the capital to Ubon Ratchathani province when it was struck, forcing multiple carriages off the track. Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said there were 195 people on board and ordered a…

At least 19 killed as construction crane crushes Thai passenger train, derailing three cars At least 19 people were killed in northeastern Thailand when a construction crane collapsed onto a passing passenger train, derailing three carriages and sparking a brief fire, authorities said. The crash occurred in Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, about 230 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. The train had departed the capital and was bound for Ubon Ratchathani province in the country’s far east. Local police said more…

Somali military says airstrike kills 17 al-Shabab militants in Middle Shabelle MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Somali National Army, working with international partners, carried out an overnight airstrike late Monday in the Middle Shabelle region that killed 17 militants and destroyed weapons and vehicles used in attacks on civilians, the military said Tuesday. The strike hit the Jabad Godone area, which the army described as a planning site for militant operations, particularly bombings targeting civilians and public…

Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers will square off in Manhattan on Wednesday over whether a man accused of killing a health insurance executive could face the federal death penalty if convicted. Luigi Mangione, 27, is due in U.S. District Court for a hearing at 11 a.m. Eastern (4 p.m. in Ireland) before Judge Margaret Garnett. Mangione is charged in the December 2024 fatal shooting of United Health CEO Brian Thompson on a Midtown Manhattan sidewalk, a killing that drew swift condemnation from public officials. Mangione…

Somalia’s child-protection reckoning after a teenager’s killing — and a rare death sentence The killing of 14-year-old orphan Saabirin Saylaan in Galkayo has jolted Somalia into a painful examination of how the state, communities and families protect — and fail — their children. A court in Puntland State convicted caregiver Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, 34, of murder and sentenced her to death, an exceptional punishment in a child-abuse case that underscores both the scale of public outrage and the fragility of Somalia’s protective…