SNA, International Allies Neutralize Al-Shabaab Cells in Lower Shabelle Strike

MOGADISHU: The Somali National Army (SNA), in close collaboration with international security partners, conducted a precisely coordinated airstrike in the Ugunji sector of the Lower Shabelle region. The counter-terrorism initiative targeted a significant gathering of Al-Shabaab militants who were preparing to launch attacks against civilians and state installations.

The defense ministry reported that intelligence monitoring units tracked the insurgent movement to a base in Ugunji, approximately 70 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu. The military action destroyed the facility, eliminating six identified Al-Shabaab fighters and destroying a large amount of tactical weapons, communication devices, and logistical supplies. The Ministry confirmed that no civilian harm or destruction of civilian property occurred during the operation.

Ugunji Strike Part of Broader Counter-Terrorism Offensive

The Ministry of Defence and SNA High Command reaffirmed their enduring strategic goal to increase offensive operations against remaining extremist strongholds. Military strategists noted that the Ugunji operation forms part of a broader, multi-front effort to dismantle insurgent gathering sites before they can strike key economic routes. This follows a major 72-hour security operation conducted last month across the Buulo Cabdalla corridor, which left 22 militants dead, including their regional commander, Cabdiraxmaan Jeeri.

Earlier this year, the Somali National Army intensified its military pressure across southern and central Somalia. In March, SNAF forces successfully repelled a major militant offensive targeting the strategic town of Mubarak, also in Lower Shabelle, resulting in the deaths of over 40 Al-Shabaab fighters. In a separate intelligence-led air operation in the Mudug region, approximately 70 Al-Shabaab militants were killed and eight military vehicles destroyed, disrupting supply chains and command structures in central zones.

International Partners Play Key Role in Aerial Campaign

The federal government has consistently emphasized that counter-terrorism operations will continue until all terrorist elements are eliminated from Somali territory and lasting security is established for the Somali population. The United States has significantly ramped up its aerial campaign in Somalia, with nearly 50 airstrikes conducted in the first quarter of 2026 alone — a massive increase in military actions directed against extremist organizations operating in the Horn of Africa.

The federal government repeated its commitment to track down and eradicate terrorist elements throughout the area, protecting essential transport networks and rural communities from extremist threats. The government has consistently emphasized that counter-terrorism operations will continue until all terrorist elements are eliminated from Somali territory and lasting security is established for the Somali population.

Sustained Military Pressure Across Multiple Fronts

The military campaign against Al-Shabaab has intensified since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced a “total war” against the group in August 2022. Operations continue across multiple fronts, with Somali forces and their international partners maintaining pressure on militant strongholds in both central and southern Somalia.

The Ugunji strike follows a pattern of escalating military engagements in the region. Earlier this month, Somali security forces executed a series of targeted airstrike operations in the Gasarta area between Baidoa and Dhuusamareeb, killing twelve insurgent fighters. Additionally, security forces have actively targeted militant financial networks; a senior Al-Shabaab financial commander, Abdullahi Hassan Abdi Osoble, was eliminated in a targeted NISA operation in the Kuunyo Barrow area of Lower Shabelle.