Somalia: Somali Army Launches Major Operations Against Al-Shabaab in Lower Juba

Mogadishu, Somalia — Somali government forces have carried out a series of coordinated ground and air operations against Al-Shabaab militants in several villages outside Jamaame, in the southern region of Lower Juba, military officials said on Sunday.

Troops from the Somali National Army’s 43rd Division, backed by US-trained Danab commandos, advanced into the villages of Musse Haji, Araare, Koban, Bangeeni, Maleyley, Balad-al-Rahma and Maam-Bile, areas long viewed as key transit and hideout zones for the Al-Qaeda-linked group.

According to military commanders, the forces destroyed a number of militant hideouts, including underground shelters, logistical stores and makeshift operational sites used by Al-Shabaab. Weapons, communication devices and supplies were also seized during the sweep, they said, though no casualty figures were immediately released.

The ground assault was supported by targeted airstrikes conducted by Somali government aircraft. Military officials said the strikes hit positions identified as meeting points and storage sites used by the militants, helping to weaken Al-Shabaab’s defensive lines in the area.

“The operation is ongoing, and our forces are pursuing fighters who fled during the clash,” an army officer involved in the mission told Radio Shabelle on condition of anonymity. He said the objective was to dismantle Al-Shabaab’s presence around Jamaame and secure supply routes in the region.

The latest offensive comes as Somali authorities intensify pressure on Al-Shabaab in several parts of the country, as part of a broader campaign aimed at restoring state control across rural strongholds still contested by the group.

Report