Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said its forces, supported by international partners, carried out an overnight raid in the Basra area of Middle Shabelle, killing seven al-Shabaab militants, including senior commanders.
Officials said the operation targeted a hideout after intelligence indicated the group was preparing attacks along the Mogadishu–Balcad corridor. Three other fighters were wounded.
According to NISA, the militants were part of a 40-member cell organizing “operations to destabilize security” in the region.
“Our forces successfully neutralized the threat and destroyed the site where the group was gathering,” NISA said in a statement Tuesday.
Intelligence-led counterterrorism raid
NISA said the raid followed “precise intelligence verification” confirming plans to strike transport routes linking the capital to nearby towns. The hideout —a network of tents and temporary shelters —was destroyed.
“The operation concluded successfully without civilian casualties,” the agency said, adding that Somali intelligence and security forces “fully thwarted” an imminent al-Shabaab attack.
Basra, about 45 kilometers north of Mogadishu, has long served as a transit corridor for militants moving between the Shabelle River region and the capital.
Somali forces, working with the African Union and other partners, have intensified operations in recent months to disrupt the insurgency.
Attack on high-security NISA base
The Basra raid came three days after Somali security forces repelled a daylight assault by al-Shabaab militants on the high-security Jilacow interrogation center in Mogadishu, one of NISA’s most sensitive facilities.
The October 4 attack left all seven assailants dead, the government said. Officials called the incident a reminder of the group’s threat despite recent military gains.
Authorities said forces “swiftly responded and successfully neutralized all seven terrorists who attempted to storm the facility,” ending the attack “in a short period.”
The militants, disguised in military uniforms and driving a vehicle painted with army insignia, bypassed several checkpoints before being stopped at the compound.
Officials said the assault exposed “security vulnerabilities that need to be addressed urgently,” prompting new directives to restrict the use of military-painted vehicles and tighten weapon movement in Mogadishu.
The Jilacow facility has been targeted before, including a 2014 attempt to free prisoners. The government described the latest assault as an “act of desperation,” coming a day after Somali forces and allied militias announced the capture of four towns in Lower Shabelle.
Sustained pressure on al-Shabaab
Somalia’s government, backed by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and international partners, has waged a year-long campaign to weaken al-Shabaab’s influence across central and southern regions.
In recent airstrikes on the group’s southern strongholds, officials said several senior operatives were killed, including Mohamed Osman Mohamed, known as Tuutax, the deputy head of the group’s intelligence and explosives unit, the Amniyat.
Despite these setbacks, the al-Qaeda linked group continues to mount high-profile attacks in urban areas while maintaining some rural strongholds.
Analysts say incidents like the Jilacow assault show both al-Shabaab’s adaptability and Somalia’s fragile security environment.
In its latest statement, NISA urged the public to report information on militant activity through its hotlines, 199, 0770747474, or 0620545454, emphasizing that cooperation remains vital to national security.
“Somalia’s future stability depends on shared vigilance,” the agency said.
As counterterrorism measures tighten, the Jilacow assault and the Basra raid highlight the balance between gains and ongoing threats in Somalia’s fight against extremism.
