Mogadishu, Somalia — Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), working with international partners, killed at least nine Al-Shabaab fighters during a planned operation carried out on Tuesday in the Tardo area of Hiiraan region, authorities said.

NISA said the raid was launched after receiving credible intelligence indicating that the militants had established an illegal checkpoint in the area and were preparing to extort money from civilian vehicles.

The agency said its forces dismantled the site used by the group to harass and threaten local residents, adding that the operation was successfully concluded without further details on casualties on the government side.

Al-Shabaab, which has waged a long-running insurgency against Somalia's federal government, frequently sets up roadblocks to collect illegal taxes and target civilians and security forces.

In a statement, NISA reiterated its commitment to continue operations against Al-Shabaab across the country, vowing to pursue the group wherever it operates to protect civilians and restore security.