Somali security forces killed nine al-Shabab militants during an operation in the Middle Shabelle region, according to reports from state media and regional outlets. The operation, which took place on Saturday, was carried out by Somali intelligence units, with reports indicating that three of those killed were senior commanders.
The news was first reported by China’s Xinhua news agency, which said the strikes were part of an intensified push by Somali forces against the militant group. Other outlets, including Ethiopia’s Fana News and Somalia’s Hiiraan Online, corroborated the death toll, with Hiiraan Online specifying that the operation occurred in Middle Shabelle.
Shabelle Media Network and Dawan Africa both reported separately that the three commanders were killed in a separate operation in the Hiiraan region, citing Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). The reports did not name the commanders or provide a precise timeline for the Hiiraan strike.
The Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan regions have been focal points in Somalia’s ongoing campaign against al-Shabab, which controls parts of the country’s south-central areas. The latest operations follow a pattern of targeted raids and ground offensives aimed at disrupting the group’s command structure and reducing its ability to launch attacks.
Xinhua’s report framed the killings as evidence of Somali forces “intensifying attacks” against the militants, though no further details on the scale of the broader offensive were provided. The Somali government has not yet issued an official statement on the operations.
What to watch next: Whether Somali authorities release further details on the commanders killed in Hiiraan, and if the military expands operations into other al-Shabab-held areas in the coming weeks.
