Somalia Ramps Up Anti-al-Shabaab Campaign with Security Talks in Moqokori

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOQOKORI: Somalia’s top intelligence official held a high-level security meeting in Moqokori on Thursday, reinforcing the government’s push to intensify military and intelligence operations against al-Shabaab insurgents in the central Hiran region.

Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbaloolshe, Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), met with senior commanders of the Somali National Army (SNA) and local security forces to coordinate frontline efforts aimed at dismantling al-Shabaab’s hold on rural territories.

The talks come as Somalia escalates a national offensive to reclaim key areas still under the control of the militant group, which has waged a violent insurgency for over a decade. Officials said the Moqokori meeting was part of a broader strategy to synchronize efforts across military, intelligence, and local defense units.

“This is a critical phase in our campaign,” Sanbaloolshe said, according to a statement released after the meeting. “We are strengthening coordination to ensure that al-Shabaab is removed from every corner of this region.”

The meeting focused on joint operations, real-time intelligence sharing, and community-based security initiatives, all vital to sustaining recent battlefield gains and preventing militant regrouping.

Hiran, a strategic corridor in central Somalia, has witnessed fierce clashes in recent months as federal forces, supported by local fighters, push deeper into insurgent territory. While al-Shabaab has lost ground in some areas, it continues to launch deadly attacks and maintain influence in parts of the countryside.

Somalia’s government has made defeating al-Shabaab a top priority, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud vowing to restore national security through military force, institutional reform, and stronger ties with local communities.

The Moqokori meeting signals the government’s intent to take the fight to the heart of al-Shabaab’s remaining strongholds, and to do so through unity of command and purpose.