(10 June 2025) MOGADISHU (Halqabsi News) – Somali National Army (SNA) forces have killed several Al-Shabaab fighters during a targeted operation near the villages of Sabiib and Caanoole in the Lower Shabelle region, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the raid was an intelligence-led operation specifically designed to cut off militant supply routes and prevent fighters from gathering for attacks. The ministry described the mission as part of a wider government plan to dismantle the group in southern Somalia.
The raid comes as the Somali government signals a new phase in its counter-terrorism strategy. In recent days, Chief of Defence Forces General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh has arrived in Lower Shabelle to oversee preparations for a major offensive.
Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi has publicly stated that the government is preparing to launch a comprehensive military campaign against Al-Shabaab across several regions. The goal, he said, is to “decisively degrade and dismantle” the group’s operational capacity.
Lower Shabelle has long been a stronghold for Al-Shabaab, but recent military gains have allowed government forces to push deeper into contested territory. Today’s operation is one of several aimed at weakening the group’s ability to regroup and launch attacks from remote areas.
Halqabsi News
