Mogadishu — Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), with support from international partners, carried out a planned operation in Ceel-weyne, a village in the Ceel-baraf area of Mahadaay district, Middle Shabelle region, targeting Al-Shabaab fighters.

The operation left 23 militants dead, including commanders and foot soldiers, NISA said in a statement.

Authorities said the raid followed intelligence confirming that Al-Shabaab had gathered fighters in the area to organise operations threatening local security. The agency added that a similar operation on October 30 had also inflicted heavy losses on the group in the same area.

NISA emphasized that no civilians were harmed during the operation. "The safety of local communities is our priority, and the security forces continue to take steps to prevent Al-Shabaab from carrying out attacks in the region," the statement said.

Al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, has waged an insurgency in Somalia for over a decade, regularly targeting government forces, local authorities, and civilians.