Airstrikes in southern Somalia have killed at least 30 al-Shabaab fighters who were preparing an offensive inside Ethiopia, security officials said Monday.
The latest US-backed airstrikes come amid an intensified campaign against al-Shabaab as Ethiopia faces growing security threats, with the militants having previously used foreign fighters from Ethiopia to destabilize its neighbor.
Multiple precision airstrikes targeted al-Shabaab positions in the Middle Juba and Lower Shabelle regions, including the districts of Sablaale, Kunyobarrow and the Yaaqbariweyne area. Sources said the fighters were caught at the planning stage, and their intended cross-border attack was foiled before it could be launched. The strikes also destroyed weapons caches and other militant facilities. In a separate operation, a missile strike in the district of Jilib targeted senior al-Shabaab commanders traveling in a vehicle, resulting in casualties among foreign and Somali leaders in the group.
A local resident in the neighboring Lower Shabelle region described the aftermath.
“Something big happened here last night. We only know that al-Shabaab was under attack. Then we woke up to find fighters sealed off the whole area in the morning,” said a witness who gave his name only as Yusuf.
The Somali government has not yet released an official statement, but a security official confirmed to Mustaqbal Media that the strikes disrupted a “major plot.” The United States has dramatically escalated airstrikes in 2026, launching nearly 50 operations in the first quarter alone as part of a campaign to dismantle the al-Qaeda-linked network.
Recent joint operations between Somali, Ethiopian, and African Union forces have sought to reclaim key territory and degrade al-Shabaab’s ability to stage attacks, as the group continues to threaten peace in the Horn of Africa.
