Saturday January 3, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali National Army Danab special forces, working alongside international partners, killed at least 20 al-Shabab fighters, including senior leaders, during a planned overnight operation in the Bay region, the federal government said Saturday.
The raid took place late Friday in the Buula Fuleey area, where the militants were assembling, according to a government statement. Officials said the operation targeted a key gathering point and dealt a significant blow to the group’s command structure in the region.
The operation follows a series of recent strikes against the al-Qaida-linked group. Two days earlier, Somali forces targeted senior al-Shabab leaders in the Middle Juba region. On Friday, militants were also repelled in an attack they launched on the Wargaadhi area of Middle Shabelle, where government troops and allied local fighters regained full control.
Wargaadhi lies in a strategically important part of Middle Shabelle that has seen repeated clashes as Somali forces and clan militias intensify efforts to dismantle al-Shabab’s rural strongholds. Despite sustained military pressure and support from international partners, the group has continued to carry out attacks on military positions and civilian communities.
Danab, an elite unit trained to conduct counterterrorism operations, has played a central role in Somalia’s campaign against al-Shabab, particularly in targeted raids aimed at disrupting leadership networks and logistics.
The federal government has said operations will continue across several regions as part of a broader effort to weaken the group’s ability to regroup and mount attacks, even as the insurgency remains resilient in parts of southern and central Somalia.