Somalia's intelligence agency has delivered a major blow to Al-Shabaab, killing over 33 militants in a series of coordinated operations in the Middle Shabelle region, dismantling key hideouts and logistical networks.
Somali security forces, supported by international partners, have killed more than 42 al-Shabaab militants, including two high-ranking leaders, in coordinated operations in the Middle Juba and Lower Shabelle regions. The strikes targeted the group’s external operations chief and its intelligence head responsible for suicide bombings.
Al shabaab has released a propaganda video claiming that one of the attackers in the October 5, 2025 assault on Mogadishu’s Godka Jilacow facility was Abdiraxmaan Sheikh Ali, the son of the group’s own spokesperson, Ali Dheere. The video also identifies two foreign fighters involved in the operation, one from Tanzania and another from Ethiopia’s Oromo community. The attack itself was carried out using a vehicle marked with the NISA logo and attackers dressed in NISA uniforms, allowing them to bypass security checkpoints. Somali officials have yet to comment on the group’s latest claims.