Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – Somalia’s intelligence agency said Thursday its forces, backed by international partners, killed 26 Al-Shabaab militants in planned operations across the central Hiiraan region.
The National Intelligence and Security Agency, or NISA, said the raids targeted militant positions in Mahaas, Mukayle and Shaw, destroying shelters, houses, weapons storage sites and vehicles used for mobilisation and attacks on civilians.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the casualty toll, and Al-Shabaab did not immediately comment.
NISA said the operations targeted what the government calls “Khawaarij”, a term Mogadishu uses for the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group, which has fought for nearly two decades to overthrow Somalia’s internationally backed government.
Mahaas raid
The agency said the first operation took place near Mahaas district, where militants had gathered around the Madahya-weyn junction.
“That attack killed 14 militants,” NISA said in a statement, adding that forces also burned tents and hideouts the group used for “mobilisation and concealment” of fighters and commanders.
Mahaas has remained one of the most contested areas in the government’s campaign against Al-Shabaab in central Somalia.
The town, about 350 kilometres north of Mogadishu, has served as a key government outpost and forward base for operations in Hiiraan and neighbouring Galgadud.
Al-Shabaab briefly overran the district in July 2025 after suicide explosions and a ground assault, in a major setback for government forces and allied local fighters who had earlier pushed the group from several parts of central Somalia.
Road checkpoints
NISA said a second operation struck Mukayle, where militants from what the group calls its “Mutaaba’ada”, or monitoring unit, had been operating.
The agency said the unit had carried out “harassment and illegal searches” against civilians using the road through the area.
Nine militants were killed in Mukayle, including a commander identified as Sadaam, whom NISA described as the deputy leader of the area, the statement said.
NISA said 16 other militants were wounded in the same operation.
A third operation targeted Shaw, where the agency said forces destroyed weapons storage and repair centres, along with a military vehicle.
“Three technicians belonging to the group were killed at the site,” NISA said.
Renewed pressure
The latest claimed operations come as Somali forces and allied clan militias seek to regain momentum in central regions where Al-Shabaab has repeatedly exploited weak coordination, local disputes and stretched security lines.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud launched a major offensive against Al-Shabaab after returning to office in 2022, working with local fighters known as Macawisley to push the militants from parts of central Somalia.
But the campaign has faced repeated reversals, especially in rural areas where Al-Shabaab remains deeply entrenched and continues to stage complex attacks against military bases, towns and main supply routes.
Somalia still relies heavily on international military support, including intelligence, training and air strikes.
The United States has carried out air strikes against Al-Shabaab for years, while African Union troops remain deployed under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM.
AUSSOM replaced ATMIS on January 1, 2025, and is tasked with supporting Somali forces against Al-Shabaab and Islamic State-linked militants while working towards a gradual transfer of full security responsibility to Somali forces by the end of 2029.
Al-Shabaab remains Somalia’s most powerful militant group and still controls large rural areas, despite years of military pressure from Somali forces, African Union troops and foreign partners.
