Over 30 Al Shabaab Militants Killed in Joint Somali-AU Operation in Shabelle

By Asha Elmi - Reporter

Somalia, 14 January 2026 More than 30 Al Shabaab militants were killed on Thursday in a joint military operation involving Somali and African Union forces in the Lower Shabelle region, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) said in a statement.

The operation, supported by air strikes, targeted militants near the Bulunagaad Forward Operating Base. It involved the Somali National Army (SNA) alongside AUSSOM Ugandan forces.

"Through coordinated ground and air offensives, over 30 Al Shabaab militants were put out of action," AUSSOM said in the press release, adding that several other fighters sustained injuries.

The engagement occurred as security forces were conducting pursuit operations against remnants of the Al Qaeda-linked group. The militants had recently been dislodged from the coastal towns of Gendershe and the Jilib-Marka axis during a Somali-led campaign codenamed "Operation Hidden Sword."

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AUSSOM, which officially succeeded the previous ATMIS mission on Jan. 1, 2025, said the joint forces acted to neutralize threats against security personnel and civilians

Al Shabaab has waged a long-running insurgency to topple Somalia's central government. While the government has reclaimed significant territory in the last two years, the group remains capable of launching large-scale attacks on military bases and the capital, Mogadishu.

The joint forces said they would continue operations to degrade the group's capabilities and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to local communities.

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