In an operation near Mogadishu’s Celasha-biyaha neighborhood, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) killed an Al-Shabaab terrorist who was operating an explosives-laden vehicle. Following the militant, security personnel were able to kill him and seize the car and explosives. Operations have been carried out by the security forces in Mogadishu to rid the city’s districts of terrorist militants.
This follows just hours after a passenger bus traveling between the Marka and Qoryooley districts of Somalia was struck by an explosion on Wednesday, killing at least six people and injuring 12 others. The explosion was caused by a terrorist attack according to Lower Shabelle governor .
Starting in August 2022, the Somali government launched a fresh offensive against Al-Shabaab, capitalising on mounting discontent with the Islamist insurgency, particularly among the politically dominant Hawiye clan. The operation has yielded the most comprehensive territorial gains since the mid-2010s, as soldiers fighting alongside clan militias dislodge Al-Shabaab militants from significant parts of central Somalia. Emboldened by clan backing and foreign support, Mogadishu now aims to send soldiers into Al-Shabaab’s southern strongholds.
Al-Shabaab has suffered important losses in central Somalia, but it continues to put up significant resistance, showing the value it places on the region. However it  has sought to increase pressure on the government with large-scale attacks in Mogadishu and other cities, in addition to making regular incursions into areas the government has seized.
