Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said on Wednesday it carried out a targeted operation against Al-Shabaab militants in Bu’aale district of Middle Jubba region, striking a house where senior commanders of the group were meeting.
The operation was conducted by NISA, with support from international partners, according to an official statement released by the agency.
NISA said the strike targeted a residential structure used as a meeting venue by senior Al-Shabaab leaders. The agency described the operation as a “major security action” aimed at disrupting the group’s command structure.
The operation took place in Bu’aale, a strategic town in Middle Jubba, a region long considered one of Al-Shabaab’s strongest footholds.
The operation was carried out on January 15, though NISA did not specify the exact time.
Bu’aale has frequently been used by Al-Shabaab as a logistical and coordination hub due to its remote terrain and limited government presence. Somali authorities have intensified intelligence-led operations in the region as part of a broader campaign to dismantle the group’s leadership network.
According to NISA, the operation was conducted through coordinated intelligence efforts with international allies. The agency did not immediately disclose details on casualties or damage assessment, saying further information would be released later.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 15 years. Middle Jubba remains one of the last regions where the group maintains significant operational freedom.
Somalia’s federal government has increasingly relied on precision intelligence operations, often supported by foreign partners, to target militant leadership while minimizing civilian harm.
The latest operation underscores Mogadishu’s renewed focus on degrading Al-Shabaab’s leadership infrastructure in its rural strongholds, even as the group continues to pose a persistent security threat across Somalia.
