Senior Al-Shabaab Leader Killed In Lower Shabelle Operation

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: The federal government of Somalia has said its forces have killed a senior leader of the Al-Shabaab militant group during a planned security operation in the Lower Shabelle region, dealing a major blow to the group’s leadership.

Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said Abdullahi Hassan Abdi Osoble, also known as Abdullahi Wadaad, was killed in a targeted operation carried out by Somali security forces in the Kunya Barrow area.

Speaking at a press conference in Mogadishu, Fiqi said Osoble was among al-Shabaab’s senior figures and had long posed a serious threat to public security and stability. He said the operation followed careful planning and intelligence-led preparations.

The minister accused Osoble of involvement in extortion, looting of public property and attacks that undermined economic activity, including the killing of businessmen and the organisation of explosions in several parts of the country.

The operation is part of a wider campaign by the federal government to dismantle al-Shabaab’s leadership and weaken its operational capacity, officials said. Authorities reiterated their commitment to protecting civilians, safeguarding investment and continuing coordinated security operations against the Islamist group.

Al-Shabaab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s internationally backed government for more than a decade.