More than 30 Al-Qaeda-linked militants killed in Somalia
Somali government forces have killed more than 30 Al-Shabaab militants in a series of coordinated airstrikes in the country’s Middle Shabelle region, the Defense Ministry reported on Friday.
The operations targeted terrorist positions in Gayfo, Ruun Idiris, and Ali Gaduud over several days. Somali officials said the targeted locations served as command, training, and logistics hubs supporting Al-Shabaab’s activities in the region.
The first strike, carried out on June 24, targeted a militant mobilization center in Gayfo, where weapons were stored. On June 25, three additional strikes targeted a training facility in Ruun Idiris before hitting a gathering of militants in Ali Gaduud, where they were allegedly preparing future attacks.
“The strikes resulted in the elimination of approximately 30 Al-Shabaab militants,” the ministry said in a statement.
According to the officials, the operation also destroyed two vehicles, three motorcycles, weapons, ammunition and other military supplies used by the group.
Al-Qaeda-linked insurgent groups, particularly Al-Shabaab, have been carrying out regular attacks in several African countries since 2007, including those in the Sahel region. The terrorist group continues to conduct raids, bombings, and targeted assassinations in an effort to destabilize the Somali government, regional security structures and also establish its own rule based on a hardline interpretation of Sharia law.
The latest operation follows a similar offensive in April, when Somali government forces said they had killed 22 Al-Shabaab militants, including senior commander Abdirahman Jeeri, during a joint ground and air operation in the Lower Shabelle region.
In March, Somali troops eliminated nine terrorists in another operation in Lower Shabelle, while two separate security operations the same month left 22 more fighters dead, according to military statements. Authorities also said government forces had recaptured the strategic Hawaadley area in the Middle Shabelle region from Al-Shabaab.
