militants

Somalia says overnight raid kills seven Al‑Shabaab fighters as counterinsurgency grinds on in Hiiraan Somalia’s intelligence service says its agents, working with international partners, killed seven Al‑Shabaab fighters in a three‑phase raid overnight in the country’s central Hiiraan region, a patch of territory that has swung back and forth between government forces and the al‑Qaida‑linked group over the past two years. In a statement released Tuesday, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said the…

U.S. launches fresh strike against ISIS-Somalia in Cal-Miskaad mountains MOGADISHU — The U.S. military carried out a precision airstrike late last week in the Cal-Miskaad mountain range near Bosaso, targeting fighters from the Islamic State in Somalia (ISIS-Somalia), U.S. Africa Command said Monday. The operation is the latest in a sustained campaign of air attacks that U.S. officials say are aimed at degrading the group’s ability to threaten American interests, Somali forces and regional allies. The strike, conducted in…

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…

Somali forces, backed by US air support, strike Al-Shabaab in central region MOGADISHU — Somali security forces, with support from the United States Africa Command, say they killed at least 12 fighters from the militant group Al-Shabaab in a planned operation this week in central Somalia — a raid officials cast as a tactical victory but one that also lays bare the persistent challenges facing the fragile federal government. The operation took place in the Ceel-dhiiqo Weyne area of Galgaduud, a windswept region that has…

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…

Somalia Executes Two Convicted al-Shabaab Members as Military Court Steps Up Death Sentences Somalia’s military court on Monday executed two men convicted of belonging to al-Shabaab and participating in targeted killings and ambushes in Mogadishu, in the latest sign that authorities are accelerating capital punishments amid an ongoing offensive against the extremist group. The men were identified by the court as Ibrahim Adan Madeey and Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known by the noms de guerre “Maaxi” and “Yoonis.” The…

Kenya’s new army chief tours volatile northeast as al‑Shabaab tests the border NAIROBI — Kenya’s new army commander, Lt. Gen. David Ketter, has made his first inspection swing through the country’s northeastern frontier, a scrubland expanse where the line between Kenya and Somalia blurs and al‑Shabaab’s shadow lingers. His tour of forward operating bases in Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, and Garissa was part morale boost, part fact-finding — and a clear signal that Nairobi wants to steady the front at a time of shifting dynamics…

markdown Quiet Victory in a Troubled Landscape: Kenya's Operation Against Al-Shabaab NAIROBI, Kenya - Nestled within the coastal Lamu County, a dense and mysterious woodland called Boni Forest covers the land—a forest that, for years, has sheltered both an array of wildlife and the ominous threat of Al-Shabaab militants. This week, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) marked a noteworthy victory in this shadowy theater of conflict. The Battle for Boni The KDF, alongside a multi-agency security task force, conducted a precision…

Amid Stalemate and Struggle: Somalia’s Relentless Battle Against Al-Shabaab Mogadishu, Somalia – In the dense forests of the Galgaduud region, where the air is thick with tension and uncertainty, the Somali National Army (SNA) recently launched a decisive operation against the insurgent group Al-Shabaab. Backed by the locally celebrated Macawisley militia, they struck a significant blow, neutralizing dozens of militants in an area where Al-Shabaab’s influence runs deep. The Operation: A United Front The operation, led by…

Somalia: Northeastern State Forces Turn Up the Heat on ISIS as Fighters Confront a Surrender Deadline AXADLE, Somalia — With a ticking clock of 72 hours, Northeastern State's defense forces have thrown down the gauntlet to Islamic State (ISIS) members cornered in the Baallade valley, urging them to yield without conflict or brace for an all-out military assault. These militants, entrapped in their cavern hideaways, are at a crossroads, warned that this might be their last chance to dodge a violent outcome. A multilingual…