(24 Mar 2025) MOGADISHU (Halqabsi News) – A senior Al-Shabaab commander, Ai Biyow Gafow, has reportedly been killed in an overnight airstrike in the Alkowsar area of Middle Shabelle, in what officials described as a targeted operation aimed at dismantling militant leadership.
According to security sources, the strike—carried out by international partners in coordination with Somali intelligence – hit a location where Gaafow and his bodyguards were holding a covert meeting. He was known to be one of the group’s key coordinators for Al-Shabaab fighters recently mobilised in Middle Shabelle.
The airstrike is part of a broader campaign to disrupt Al-Shabaab’s resurgence in areas surrounding Aadan Yabaal, with increased aerial and ground offensives reported in Ceel Cali Axmed, Ceelbacad, and the outskirts of Aadan Yabaal in recent days.
Military officials confirmed that recent operations have specifically targeted hideouts, training centres, and logistical hubs, with the aim of preventing Al-Shabaab from regrouping and launching coordinated attacks during Ramadan.
These strikes follow earlier raids in Jilib, Jubbaland, that killed other high-ranking commanders, including Xasan Yacquub and Amiin, who were reportedly overseeing training and bomb-making facilities.
The Somali government, with support from its allies, is intensifying its campaign to cripple Al-Shabaab’s operational and leadership structures, especially as the group attempts to exploit rural territory and mount propaganda offensives via social media.
Halqabsi News
