Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Somali army forces have rescued 30 hostages from Al-Shabaab during a raid in southern Somalia, the government announced on Wednesday.
The operation took place in Buula Madiina, a rural area in the Afgooye district of the Lower Shabelle region. Militants had been holding civilians at a makeshift detention site there, according to the Defence Ministry. Two of those freed were women.
Military officials said troops killed three Al-Shabaab fighters who were guarding the compound. They also destroyed a small jail and an informal court that the group used to prosecute and intimidate residents.
Officials did not immediately release images or detailed information about the freed hostages.
“The operation restored the freedom of 30 citizens who terrorists had been holding,” the ministry said. Officials added that staff are screening those rescued and giving them medical checks.
Authorities did not say how long the group spent in captivity or whether anyone was hurt.
Al-Shabaab did not immediately comment on the raid. Residents and aid groups did not independently confirm the number of hostages rescued or militants killed. Officials said they coordinated the mission carefully to avoid civilian casualties.
Wider campaign against Al-Shabaab
The raid is part of a broader campaign by Somali security forces to push Al-Shabaab from key areas in southern and central Somalia.
African Union troops support these operations. Government forces and their allies have launched repeated ground and air missions this year in Lower Shabelle and other regions. In many of these areas, the group taxes communities and runs parallel courts.
The United Nations sanctions Al-Shabaab, and several countries classify it as a terrorist organisation.
The group has fought to topple Somalia’s internationally recognised government since 2007, and continues to control or contest large parts of rural territory. It also carries out bombings and assassinations in Mogadishu and other cities.
The operation comes as the new African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia deploys across the country. It helps national forces secure major towns and key roads, and aims to hand back more security responsibilities to Somali authorities.
Somali officials say they plan more raids on Al-Shabaab detention sites and taxation centres in the coming weeks.
