MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said that 19 Al-Shabaab fighters, including a senior commander, were killed in coordinated operations carried out with international partners in the central regions of Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan.
In a statement, NISA said the first operation targeted a location near Geel-gub, close to Masaajid Ali Gaduud in Middle Shabelle, where the militant group was allegedly gathering fighters to prepare attacks.
The agency said 12 Al-Shabaab members were killed during the operation, adding that the group’s bases and shelters used for planning and coordinating attacks were destroyed.
A second operation in the Buq-aqable area of Hiiraan targeted what NISA described as a weapons storage facility used to stockpile arms collected from the Middle Shabelle, Hiiraan and Galgaduud regions.
According to the statement, seven additional Al-Shabaab members were killed, including a commander identified as Faruuq, whom NISA said was responsible for managing the group’s weapons depot.
The intelligence agency added that the operation also destroyed military equipment stored at the site, including two Cabdi Bile trucks, a Noah minivan and two motorcycles.
NISA said the raids form part of ongoing efforts to target the group’s leadership, infrastructure and supply networks in a bid to strengthen security and stability across Somalia.
