Somali Army launches security operation against Al-Shabaab in Lower Shabelle


Somali government forces have carried out a security operation in areas between Sabiid, Caanoole and Bariire in the Lower Shabelle region, according to the Somali military.

The operation was conducted by the army’s 27th and 17th ground force brigades as part of efforts to strengthen security and protect civilians in the area. The military said its forces thwarted attempts by Al-Shabaab militants to target local communities, particularly farmers living in the affected areas. The group was accused of attempting to extort money from farmers through clandestine operations.

Troops also conducted searches for landmines along roads linking the areas covered by the operation, the military said, as part of efforts to prevent attacks involving explosives planted by Al-Shabaab. The army said the explosive-clearance operations were intended to reduce the risks faced by civilians using roads in the area, where landmines and improvised explosive devices pose a persistent security threat.

Read more…
Source: Shabelle Media News


Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • Somalia: At least 13 reported killed in suicide bomb blast in Mogadishu

    May 18, 2025

    Several people have been reported killed in a suicide bombing at an army recruitment centre in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The attacker on Sunday targeted a queue of young recruits lining up outside the Damanyo base, killing at least 13 people, the Associated Press news agency quoted witnesses as saying. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Teenagers ...

  • Somalia: Heavy fighting enters second day on border between Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan Regions

    May 18, 2025

    Fierce clashes between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab fighters entered a second day Saturday along the border between the Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan regions, with both sides sustaining heavy casualties. The fighting is centered around the village of Ceel Hareeri, located between the strategic towns of Adan Yabal in Middle Shabelle and Moqokori in Hiiraan. Government ...

  • Somali forces repel Al-Shabaab attack on strategic military base in Middle Shabelle region

    April 24, 2025

    Somali army forces repelled an early morning Al-Shabaab assault on a key military base in the Wargaadhi area of Middle Shabelle region on Thursday, according to government officials. The attack began shortly after morning prayers with explosions and a coordinated ground assault by Al-Shabaab militants. The Wargaadhi base, located along a critical supply route, hosts elite ...

  • Somalia: Al-Qaida-linked militants attack a strategic town in Middle Shabelle

    April 16, 2025

    The Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab on Wednesday attacked a strategic town that serves as a major base for government troops, raising new concerns about the sustainability of the fight against the al-Qaida-linked militants. The dawn attack on Adan Yabal in Middle Shabelle region started with the launching of explosives before the militants attacked on foot on ...

  • UN reaffirms support for Somalia in tackling explosive threats

    April 4, 2025

    The United Nations (UN) on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Somalia in the fight against explosive hazards, aiming for a safe and secure future for all citizens. James Swan, UN secretary-general’s special representative for Somalia, said improvised explosive devices (IEDs) continue to pose a significant threat to peace and security across Somalia, with 597 devices ...

  • Somali militants target presidential convoy in bomb attack

    March 18, 2025

    Al Shabaab militants targeted Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a bomb attack on his motorcade as it was traveling through the capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, the Islamist group said. Two senior government and military officials told Reuters that Mohamud was safe following the attack, and presidential adviser Zakariye Hussein wrote in a post on X ...

  • Somalia: Puntland forces kill senior ISIS drone commander in targeted operation

    March 13, 2025

    Puntland security forces have killed a senior Islamic State (ISIS) commander responsible for directing drone attacks using explosive-laden unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), authorities announced Thursday. The militant, identified as a foreign national, was killed in a Puntland-led operation in the Lugta-Huraanhur and Togga Raq-raq areas of the Al Miskaad mountains in the Bari region, according to ...

  • Somalia: Al-Shabaab terror group attacks hotel in Beledweyne town

    March 11, 2025

    The Al-Shabaab terrorist group stormed Cairo hotel in Beledweyne, Hiiraan region, on Tuesday morning, following several bomb explosions and gunfire. The attackers used car bombs, followed by direct gunfire, in their assault. The hotel, located in the Howlwadaag neighbourhood of Beledweyne, was reportedly hosting traditional elders and military officers who were organizing efforts against Al-Shabaab in ...

  • Somalia: Mogadishu flights suspended after US Embassy warning

    March 6, 2025

    It is understood that Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways have cancelled flights to and from Mogadishu, Somalia, following a warning from the US of a “potential imminent attack” at Aden Adde International Airport (MGQ). On March 4, 2025, after “tracking credible information” the US Embassy in Somalia issued an alert indicating multiple locations in the country, ...

  • Somalia: UNMAS handover life-saving equipment to counter the persistent threat of improvised explosive devices

    February 26, 2025

    Somalia’s path to self-reliance in national security received a major boost today with the handover of assorted, life-saving equipment to counter the persistent threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). “Given the nature of the IED threat here in Somalia, it’s essential that we sustain the capabilities of the national security forces and particularly so, now that ...

  • Somalia: ISIS attacks military bases in Puntland

    February 11, 2025

    ISIS attacked military bases in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland state overnight with suicide car and motorbike bombs, a military official said on Tuesday. Puntland announced a major offensive against ISIS and a rival group, the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, in December and claims to have since killed dozens of foreign fighters, captured several ISIS bases, and forced ...

  • U.S. Forces Conduct Strike Targeting ISIS-Somalia

    February 1, 2025

    In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia on Feb. 1, 2025. The command’s initial assessment is that multiple ISIS-Somalia operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed. U.S. Africa Command takes great measures to prevent civilian harm. Protecting civilians remains a vital part of the ...

  • INTERPOL: 37 terror suspects arrested in East African operation

    January 27, 2025

    LYON, France – An international counter-terrorism operation in East Africa has led to the arrest of 37 suspects and the seizure of both small arms and heavy weapons. Those arrested include suspected members of ISIS, Al Shabaab and several foreign terrorist fighters. Arrests were made across eight East African countries during a joint INTERPOL and AFRIPOL ...

  • UK Mine-clearing charity given £7m to continue work in Ukraine and Afghanistan

    January 22, 2025

    A landmine clearance charity will be given £7 million to continue its “life-saving” work in Ukraine and Afghanistan. The UK Government cash for the Hazardous Area Life-support Organisation (Halo) Trust will enable the charity to make land safe for agriculture in Ukraine, and to restore basic services affected by the threat of explosives in Afghanistan. Development ...

  • Somalia offers $30,000 bounty for al-Shabab bomb expert

    January 13, 2025

    The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) has announced a $30,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Yusuf Mohamed Hussein, known as Jeeri-Arab, a senior Al-Shabab operative linked to the group’s bomb disposal unit. In a statement released on Sunday, NISA identified Jeeri-Arab as a key figure in Al-Shabab’s operations in the Banadir region, ...