Somali National Army forces, supported by the Turkish military, killed 35 al-Shabab militants and wounded more than 20 others during a precision airstrike in the Godey area of the Lower Shabelle region on Tuesday morning.
The operation, which utilized F-16 fighter jets, targeted a clandestine site used by the insurgent group to store weapons and coordinate attacks against civilians.
This strike marks a significant intensification of the federal government’s counter-insurgency campaign, highlighting the increasingly kinetic role Turkey has assumed in Somalia’s security architecture. The deployment of advanced air power, confirmed earlier this year, represents a strategic shift from Ankara’s traditional advisory and training-centric model toward direct combat support.
As al-Shabab continues to maintain a persistent threat across southern and central Somalia, these operations are central to federal efforts to degrade the group’s logistics and prevent the assembly of explosive devices intended for urban centers.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the precision strike resulted in substantial secondary explosions at the target site, suggesting the destruction of a major weapons and explosives cache. Government officials described the area as a critical staging ground for militants preparing offensive operations.
“The Somali National Armed Forces, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Türkiye, conducted a series of airstrikes this morning in the Godey area of Lower Shabelle, targeting caves, weapons caches and hideouts used by al-Shabab terrorists,” the ministry stated in an official announcement.
While the government maintains that the operation was a tactical success aimed at protecting the Somali populace, the group’s influence in the Shabelle regions remains a persistent challenge for federal authorities. Military spokespersons have indicated that the campaign against the insurgency will continue, with the Somali National Army expressing a commitment to further neutralizing militant strongholds.
Al-Shabab has yet to issue a formal response or address the government’s claims regarding the casualties and the destruction of its regional infrastructure. There has been no independent verification of the damage caused by the strike.
