By Kabiru Abdulrauf,
The Somali government confirmed on Thursday that 12 Al-Shabaab militants, including senior operatives, were killed in a joint airstrike carried out by Somali forces and the United States Africa Command.
The strike, which targeted a militant hideout in Adan Yabaal 220 kilometres north of Mogadishu came in response to a pre-dawn raid by the Al-Qaeda-linked group on the strategic town. According to Somalia’s Ministry of Information, the strike “aimed to neutralize the threat posed” by Al-Shabaab and hit a known gathering point used by the group.
Adan Yabaal, once a key militant stronghold, was recaptured by Somali forces in late 2022 during a major offensive backed by African Union peacekeepers. However, Wednesday’s assault has raised fears of a renewed insurgency as residents and military sources report that Al-Shabaab fighters briefly overran the town after detonating explosives-laden trucks and engaging in intense gunfire.
The surge in attacks comes amid rising concerns about the group’s growing capabilities, including a March bomb attack that narrowly missed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy and a mortar strike earlier this month near Mogadishu’s international airport.
Meanwhile, in a separate offensive near Baidoa in Somalia’s southwest, government forces and allied units reportedly killed 35 more militants during a foiled attack on an army base.
As the Somali government and its partners intensify counterterrorism efforts, the recent wave of violence highlights the enduring threat posed by Al-Shabaab despite significant territorial losses in recent years.
