Thursday April 10, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali government forces killed five Al-Shabaab militants and destroyed several vehicles in a planned military operation in the village of Ceelka Nuur Gadoow in Middle Shabelle, the Ministry of Defense announced Thursday.
The joint operation, conducted by the Somali National Army and allied local militias, targeted the fighters as they arrived at a water source in the village. Officials said the strike was carried out based on advanced intelligence.
“Our forces, acting on accurate information, ambushed the enemy as they attempted to draw water,” Defense Ministry spokesperson Abukar Mohamed Hassan said. “Five militants were killed, and their vehicles were burned.”
Separately, government troops have launched a wider offensive in Hiiraan, focusing on areas surrounding the town of Aboorey, where officials report that Al-Shabaab has suffered significant casualties.
“Operations in Hiiraan are ongoing, and early reports indicate heavy losses on the side of the Khawarij enemy,” said Hassan, using a term Somali officials use to refer to Al-Shabaab. “We are still verifying casualty numbers and will provide further updates soon.”
The offensives are part of a broader campaign to reclaim territory from the al-Qaida-linked group, which has waged a deadly insurgency in Somalia since 2006. Though Al-Shabaab has lost control of many areas in recent years, it continues to launch attacks using guerrilla tactics, especially in regions where government forces are thinly spread.
Authorities say they aim to weaken the group’s hold on strategic rural areas before the onset of the rainy season, which complicates troop movements and logistics. The Somali government’s counterinsurgency effort is supported by local militias and international partners, including the African Union and U.S. military advisers.