Somali special forces killed 15 and captured eight al-Shabaab militants during a night operation in Jilib district, in the southern Middle Juba region, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday. According to the ministry, the Somali National Army’s Danab special forces carried out the raid on Saturday, targeting the al-Qaeda-linked group. The operation was described as a demonstration of the army’s improving operational capacity, including enhanced air mobility to strike militant positions across the region.
Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 16 years, regularly attacking security personnel, government officials and civilians. Since late 2024, the Somali National Army and security forces in the semi-autonomous Puntland region have intensified air operations against al-Shabaab in southern and central Somalia, as well as against ISIS (Daesh) elements in the northeastern Bari region, with support from international partners.