(18 Feb 2025) MOGADISHU(Halqabsi News) — A senior Al-Shabaab commander, Yahye Laba Madax, was seriously injured in an attack by local resistance fighters in Ceelbuur, central Somalia, on Monday night, a Somali government spokesperson confirmed.
Laba Madax, who leads the militant group’s Hisbah religious enforcement unit, was targeted at a compound near the town’s police station in the Galgaduud region. Abukar Hassan, A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said the attack resulted in significant casualties among Al-Shabaab fighters, including deaths and injuries. The spokesperson confirmed that Laba Madax was seriously wounded.
Sources within Ceelbuur, speaking to Halqabsi News, reported that Al-Shabaab subsequently executed several of its own members on suspicion of involvement in the raid. These reports could not be independently confirmed due to security restrictions and limited access to the area.
The attack coincides with a renewed offensive by Somali government forces, backed by local militias and international partners, against Al-Shabaab strongholds across several regions. These operations had slowed in recent months but have now been significantly intensified.
Halqabsi News
