Top Al-Shabaab Tax Chief Killed in Somali Army Raid in Lower Shabelle

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somali special forces have eliminated a senior Al-Shabaab figure accused of running the militant group’s extortion racket in a targeted operation in the Toratorow area of Lower Shabelle.

According to officials, the militant, identified as Abdullahi Mohamed and known by his alias “Arab,” was shot dead by the elite Danab commandos in a strike that also destroyed his getaway motorcycle and captured piles of cash and tax records used to shake down civilians in the area.

Mohamed had served as Al-Shabaab’s head of Zakawaat in Lower Shabelle, overseeing the group’s widespread extortion system that has long preyed on farmers, traders, and vulnerable rural communities.

“His removal is a significant blow to Al-Shabaab’s financial network in the region. He was one of the key operatives terrorizing locals through illegal taxation and intimidation,” a military spokesperson said.

The strike is part of an intensifying campaign by the Somali National Army, backed by international partners, to hunt down and dismantle Al-Shabaab’s leadership and revenue streams.

Officials say the latest operation sends a clear message: the days of militants operating freely in the region are numbered.

Al-Shabaab has leaned heavily on illegal taxation to fund its insurgency across south-central Somalia, using fear and coercion to extract money from civilians in areas under its control. But recent military gains have allowed Somali forces to roll back that influence.

The government has pledged to continue high-value raids and community-led operations aimed at restoring law and governance in areas long neglected due to insecurity.

“This operation wasn’t just about killing one man,” the official added. “It’s about breaking the chain of fear that Al-Shabaab has wrapped around our people for too long.”