Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) has announced the successful conclusion of a major counterterrorism operation in the Middle Shabelle region, resulting in the deaths of more than 33 Al-Shabaab fighters.
In a statement released on Tuesday, NISA said its forces, working alongside international partners, carried out a series of coordinated raids that dismantled several militant hideouts. The operation specifically targeted a house where senior group leaders were organising fighters and planning attacks.
“Vehicles used for transporting and mobilising fighters were burnt, effectively dismantling their logistical network,” the intelligence agency said in its statement.
The security crackdown was based on intelligence indicating that approximately 90 terrorists had gathered in the area to prepare activities threatening national security. NISA added that the planned actions significantly weakened the extremists’ capacity and neutralised their imminent threat.
Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 16 years, frequently targeting security forces, officials, and civilians. Since last July, Somali forces, backed by the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and other partners, have intensified operations against the group in support of the federal government.
The African Union mission’s mandate was renewed for another year by the UN Security Council in December under a UK-backed resolution.