MOGADISHU — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) has announced the successful elimination of over 23 Al-Shabaab militants following a series of synchronized, intelligence-driven operations across central Somalia. Security officials confirmed that the preemptive strikes destroyed major militant strongholds and thwarted several imminent attacks.
Targeting Vital Militant Pathways
According to the intelligence agency, these highly coordinated operations specifically targeted armed Kharijite elements gathering in the Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle regions. These areas have long been identified by security forces as vital logistical pathways used by insurgents to transport fighters and explosives between remote hideouts and urban centers.
In the Maxaas district, NISA operatives neutralized a cell of fighters operating under the direct leadership of a local Al-Shabaab commander. Security sources confirmed that this specific raid, much like recent targeted intelligence operations in the Middle Shabelle, successfully averted a series of planned assaults against civilian and government installations.
Dismantling “Enforcement” Squads
Meanwhile, in a parallel offensive in the Moqokori area, security forces eliminated a heavily fortified militant encampment. Crucially, the destroyed installations included bases utilized by Al-Shabaab’s purported “religious enforcement” squads, who are frequently responsible for extorting and terrorizing local rural communities.
NISA reported that these synchronized strikes have severely diminished the militants’ overall operational capabilities and heavily restricted their freedom of movement across the central regions.
International Cooperation and Public Vigilance
The agency explained that the operations were executed in close collaboration with Somalia’s international security partners. The offensives constitute part of a wider, continuous national initiative to systematically dismantle the terror networks associated with both Al-Shabaab and localized Islamic State elements.
Concluding the security briefing, NISA emphasized that ongoing intelligence-led operations will persist to secure newly liberated territories and actively hinder any attempts at militant reorganization. The agency issued a strong call to action, urging Somali citizens to remain vigilant and continue assisting national security forces by providing actionable intelligence to prevent future assaults.
