868 terrorists killed in airstrikes in Somalia since February, says defense minister

MOGADISHU, Somalia

Somalia's Defense Minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, announced Wednesday that 220 precision airstrikes have been carried out against terrorists, killing 868 of them since February of this year.

Fiqi briefed the country's Upper House of Parliament in Mogadishu on the progress of the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) and recent achievements in the fight against terrorism in the Horn of Africa nation.

The minister said 52 senior leaders of ISIS (Daesh) and the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab have been killed in airstrikes conducted since February.

He added that the army has demonstrated "exceptional courage, sacrifice, and resilience in safeguarding the nation," and that the forces "have defended the country and liberated vast territories from terrorist control" through extensive counterterrorism operations.

Since late 2024, the Somali National Army (SNA) and security forces in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland have increased air raids against terrorists in the south and central provinces, as well as the northeastern Bari region, with the support of international security partners.

Somalia is reported to have carried out a precision airstrike in Middle Jubba's Bu'aale town, killing a senior al-Shabaab leader late in October.

The slain terrorist leader has been identified as Mohamud Abdi Hamud, also known as Jacfar Gurey, a founding member of the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group who served as the group's "intelligence chief."

Al-Shabaab has been pursuing an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 16 years, frequently targeting security forces, officials, and civilians.