Somalia: Airstrike Targets Al-Shabaab Commanders in Lower Shabelle

Mogadishu — Somali intelligence forces carried out a targeted airstrike in the Lower Shabelle region in recent hours, killing several Al-Shabaab operatives, including senior commanders, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said Thursday.

The precision strike was launched on a residential compound in the Bariire area, where NISA said senior members of the jihadist group were holding strategic meetings.

"The National Intelligence and Security Agency successfully conducted a planned operation targeting Al-Shabaab leaders who had been orchestrating attacks from Bariire," the agency said in a statement.

NISA released images showing the targeted house before and after the strike, including surveillance footage of four individuals entering the compound prior to the bombing.

The agency did not specify the exact number of casualties but described the operation as "a major blow" to the group's leadership in the region.

Government forces have in recent weeks intensified their military campaign against Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia, particularly in Lower Shabelle, a region long considered a militant stronghold.

Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group, has waged a deadly insurgency against Somalia's internationally backed government for more than 15 years. The group frequently carries out bombings and assassinations targeting government officials, security forces, and civilians.

The Somali government, with the support of international partners, has vowed to continue its offensive until Al-Shabaab is fully dismantled.

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