Somali forces kill over 42 al-Shabaab terrorists, including 2 ringleaders, in military operations
Abdihamid Ali Abdullahi Macalin, Suleyman Omar Fidow, among al-Qaeda-linked terror group's members, killed in military operations in Middle Juba and Lower Shabelle regions, says official statement
MOGADISHU, Somalia
Somali forces, with the support of international partners, killed more than 42 al-Shabaab terrorists, including two senior ringleaders, and injured several others in joint operations in the Middle Juba and Lower Shabelle regions on Thursday.
The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) killed Abdihamid Ali Abdullahi Macalin, the al-Qaeda-linked group's commander in charge of international terror liaison, during a coordinated operation, said a statement issued by the agency.
He was the terrorist leader in charge of smuggling weapons and explosives to the terrorist group in Somalia, the statement said.
The other operation claimed the life of Suleyman Omar Fidow, the so-called intelligence chief and commander of al-Shabaab suicide bombers.
According to the statement, Fidow was preparing to take over the "division," which works to gather explosives, after Engineer Ismail was killed in Dec. 2025.
The two leaders of the terrorist group were killed during operations in the Jilib district of the Middle Juba region and the Ugunji area of Lower Shabelle.
Meanwhile, the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF), working with Ugandan peacekeepers, killed over 40 al-Shabaab terrorists on Thursday, while many others were injured in the Lower Shabelle region, according to the Defense Ministry.
The terrorists were killed as they attempted to launch an attack on Mubarak, a strategic agricultural town liberated from al-Shabaab during military operations conducted during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Al-Shabaab has been engaged in an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 16 years, frequently targeting security forces, officials, and civilians.
Since last July, the Somali army, with the support of the AUSSOM (African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia) and other international partners, has stepped up operations against the group supporting the central government.
The AUSSOM’s mandate was renewed for another year by the UN Security Council in December, with a UK-backed resolution extending authorization until Dec. 31.
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