Somali Forces Kill Over 40 Al-Shabaab Fighters in Lower Juba

GOOBJOOG NEWS | KISMAYO: Somali special forces have killed more than 40 Al Shabaab militants and captured several others, including senior figures, during a large-scale operation in southern Lower Juba region.

The offensive, led by the elite Danab Commandos of the Somali National Army (SNA), targeted militant hideouts in the Barjaale area of Afmadow district. Troops also seized a cache of weapons and dismantled an extensive network of tunnels and fortifications used by the group, officials said.

“The operation was a success. We eliminated over 40 Khawarij fighters and captured key members alive,” one officer told national media, using the government’s preferred term for the al Shabaab insurgency. “We now have full control of strategic areas previously held by the militants.”

Photographs released by the military showed bodies of suspected militants and the remains of underground structures destroyed during the assault.

The operation forms part of a broader, multi-front campaign against al Shabaab across Somalia. In recent hours, Somali forces have reported killing more than 120 fighters in coordinated offensives in the Hiran, Lower Shabelle, and Lower Juba regions.

Al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked group, has been waging an insurgency in Somalia for over 15 years, aiming to topple the central government and impose its hardline version of Islamic law. The group often targets civilians, military personnel, and government institutions.

The Somali government, supported by regional and international partners, has intensified its military pressure on the group in a bid to restore security and reclaim territory ahead of planned transitions in national security leadership.