Somali National Army (SNA) forces, specifically the 95th Battalion of the 9th Brigade under the 60th Division, conducted a carefully planned overnight operation between the areas of Ceel-boon and Buurdhuxunle in the southern Bakool region, military officials said Sunday.

During the operation, troops killed a senior Al-Shabaab commander identified as Hussein Macalin Hassan, also known within the militant group's ranks by the alias "Magaalabeen."

The offensive is part of an intensified military campaign jointly executed by Somali federal forces and regional Daraawiish troops from South West State (Koonfur Galbeed), targeting Al-Shabaab strongholds across the Baay and Bakool regions.

Security officials report that over the past two weeks, multiple operations have been launched across the two regions. In a separate development, four Al-Shabaab members surrendered to government forces in the town of Naydhabo, the administrative capital of Baay region.

The South West regional administration has recently reiterated its commitment to accelerating the liberation of areas still under Al-Shabaab control and to breaking the group's sieges on key population centers.

The Somali government, with support from local forces and international partners, has vowed to maintain pressure on the group as part of a broader national strategy to reclaim territory and stabilize the Horn of Africa nation.