Mogadishu — Somali government forces, backed by international partners including the US military, carried out a planned operation late on Thursday night targeting Al-Shabaab in the town of Saakow in the Middle Juba region, the defence ministry said.

According to a statement, the operation focused on a facility used by Al-Shabaab to manufacture and assemble explosives. The site, described by authorities as the group's largest bomb-making factory in the area, was completely destroyed.

The ministry said at least 18 Al-Shabaab fighters were killed in the airstrike, including individuals identified as bomb-making specialists involved in preparing explosives used in attacks against civilians.

Somalia's defence ministry and the command of the Somali National Army reiterated their commitment to intensifying operations against the Islamist group and strengthening efforts to protect civilian safety and national security.

Al-Shabaab, linked to al-Qaeda, has waged a deadly insurgency against Somalia's federal government for more than a decade, carrying out frequent attacks on security forces and civilian targets.