MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said an airstrike targeting an Al-Shabaab vehicle in the Lower Shabelle region killed or wounded an unspecified number of militants, without providing casualty figures.
NISA said the strike took place in the Daniga Baalow area and targeted a vehicle carrying Al-Shabaab fighters as part of a planned operation conducted jointly with Somali security forces and international partners.
The vehicle was carrying weapons, explosives and heavy ammunition, according to the intelligence agency.
“A planned operation jointly conducted by the National Intelligence and Security Agency and international partners in the Daniga Baalow area of Lower Shabelle targeted a vehicle carrying Al-Shabaab militants,” NISA said in a statement.
“The vehicle was carrying weapons and explosives, and the operation inflicted heavy losses on Al-Shabaab,” it added.
NISA did not say which international forces carried out the airstrike or provide details on the type of aircraft used.
The agency also did not disclose the number of militants killed or wounded in the operation, saying only that the group suffered significant losses.
Lower Shabelle, a region south of the Somali capital Mogadishu, has been a major area of military operations against Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has waged an insurgency in Somalia for more than a decade.
Somali government forces, supported by local forces and international partners, have conducted ground and air operations against Al-Shabaab in the region as part of efforts to weaken the group’s military capabilities and regain territory.
Al-Shabaab continues to carry out attacks in Somalia despite sustained military operations against it, targeting government forces, civilians and other strategic sites.
NISA frequently announces targeted operations against the group but often provides limited details about casualties, locations and the role of international partners.
The latest strike comes amid continued efforts by Somalia’s security forces to disrupt Al-Shabaab’s movements and prevent the group from transporting weapons and explosives between its areas of operation.
The Somali government has said military pressure against Al-Shabaab will continue as part of a broader campaign to eliminate the group’s presence in the country.
