Somali elite Danab commandos have launched a military operation against Al-Shabaab militants near Leego in Lower Shabelle, amid reports of US airstrikes targeting the group's positions in the area.
MOGADISHU (Somali Report) — Somali special forces have launched a planned military operation against Al-Shabaab militants in parts of Lower Shabelle region, as government troops intensify efforts to weaken the group's presence in southern Somalia.
The operation was conducted by the 161st unit of the 16th Danab Commando Battalion in areas around Leego, according to reports published on Saturday. The forces carried out ground operations targeting suspected militant hideouts as part of a wider campaign to improve security in the region.
The operation comes amid reports of airstrikes targeting Al-Shabaab positions near Leego. Somali military sources and local media reports said the strikes were carried out by international partners, including the United States, and targeted locations believed to have been used by the group to store weapons and military supplies. However, the reported strikes and their precise targets have not been independently confirmed.
Reports also said several Al-Shabaab members, including senior figures, were killed and military equipment destroyed during the coordinated operations. The military has not released a detailed casualty assessment for Saturday's latest ground operation, and the reported losses could not be independently verified.
The latest developments follow heavy fighting earlier this week in the Shanta Baraako area, on the outskirts of Leego, where Somali government troops clashed with Al-Shabaab fighters. The Somali National Army said several militants were killed and positions belonging to the group were destroyed.
Among those identified by the military as killed in the earlier fighting were Abdifitaah Gaalgooriyow and Abdulkadir Hussein, whom officials described as senior operatives responsible for coordinating the movement of fighters and supplies along routes linking Leego and Buurhakaba.
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The fighting is part of Operation Banooda, a military campaign targeting Al-Shabaab positions along the strategic corridor connecting Leego and Buurhakaba. The operation aims to disrupt the group's movements, dismantle its bases and improve security on roads used by civilians and government forces.
Lower Shabelle remains a key area of military activity because of its proximity to the capital, Mogadishu, and its importance as a route connecting several districts in southern Somalia. Al-Shabaab continues to operate in parts of the region, where it has carried out attacks against military positions and government installations.
Somali forces, including the Danab commandos, have stepped up operations against the group with support from international partners. The United States has provided training, equipment and operational support to Somali special forces and has conducted airstrikes against Al-Shabaab targets in the country.
The latest operations come as Somalia continues its military campaign against the al-Qaeda-linked group, which has waged an insurgency against the federal government for nearly two decades.
Neither Al-Shabaab nor independent monitors had provided a detailed account of the latest operation's casualties by Saturday.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
