MOGADISHU, Somalia

The Somali intelligence agency announced on Saturday that more than 80 terrorists, including senior al-Shabaab operatives, have been killed during week-long operations against the al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group.

Operations against the al-Shabaab group took place in the lower and middle Shabelle regions, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said in a statement.

“The National Intelligence and Security Agency, in collaboration with the Somali National Army, carried out 6 operations in the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions, killing more than 80 Khawarij, including leaders and militiamen.”

It said the operations have resulted in a major defeat of the “Khawarijs,” demonstrating the "successes achieved in eliminating the remnants of terrorism."

The Somali government refers to the terrorist group al-Shabaab as "Khawarij."

Meanwhile, the Somali Defense Ministry, marking the departure of the longest-serving minister, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, said under his leadership, over 5,000 al-Shabaab were killed in "one of the most decisive counterterrorism campaigns in Somalia's history."

The ministry said in a separate statement that the operations dismantled not only fighters but also the terror group's financial and logistical backbone, "marking a turning point in the war against Al-Shabaab."

Nur has remained in charge of the ministry since late 2021.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from the al-Shabaab and Daesh (ISIS) terrorist groups.

Al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government for over 16 years, and it frequently targets government officials and military personnel.