• Those killed in counterterrorism operations include al-Shabaab's top leader responsible for mortar attacks in Mogadishu since 2023, says security agency

MOGADISHU, Somalia

Somali security forces killed 45 al-Shabaab terrorists, including the group's foreman responsible for mortar attacks in Mogadishu since 2023, during counterterrorism operations in the Hiran and Lower Shabelle regions, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.

The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) statement said six airstrikes were carried out in the El-Hareeri area of the Hiran region from Tuesday afternoon to early Wednesday, killing 45 "Khawarij fighters, including both leaders and militiamen."

The Somali government refers to al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, as Khawarij.

Ahmed Mohamud, a security official in the region who spoke with Anadolu over the phone, said the intelligence services used unmanned aerial vehicles to strike a location where the group and its top operatives were hiding.

According to NISA, those killed in the operations included al-Shabaab's top leader, who has been responsible for mortar attacks in Mogadishu since 2023.

He was killed during a planned operation near Sabib in the Lower Shabelle region.

Somalia has long been plagued by insecurity, with the terrorist groups al-Shabaab and ISIS (Daesh) posing the most serious threats.

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