Danaab Commandos Destroy Al Shabaab Bases in Lower Shabelle Operation

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia’s elite Danab Special Forces have destroyed several Al-Shabaab bases in the Lower Shabelle region during a military operation aimed at disrupting the group’s activities in one of its long-standing strongholds.

Military sources said the operation targeted suspected militant positions in the areas of Tooratoorow, Aliyoow Baarow, Doonka and Farsooley, where the army said al Shabaab had established hideouts used to organise fighters and plan attacks.

The officials said troops from the 161st and 164th battalions of the 16th Danab Brigade demolished bases and shelters regarded as key to the group’s operations, describing the raid as part of ongoing efforts to weaken the militants’ presence in the region.

The army did not say whether any Al-Shabaab fighters were killed or captured, and there was no immediate comment from the group. The claims could not be independently verified.

Lower Shabelle has long been a strategic battleground in Somalia’s campaign against Al-Shabaab, with the group using parts of the region as a staging ground for attacks because of its proximity to the capital, Mogadishu.

The latest operation comes as Somali security forces continue to intensify military pressure on the militant group across southern and central Somalia, seeking to dismantle its network of bases while extending government control into areas long contested by the insurgents.

Although Somali forces have reclaimed territory from Al-Shabaab in recent years, the group has demonstrated an ability to regroup and launch retaliatory attacks, highlighting the continuing challenges facing the government’s counter-insurgency campaign.