Somali special forces kill 37 Al-Shabaab militants in major offensive Including top Commanders

Somali special forces have killed 37 Al-Shabaab militants, including several senior commanders, in a large-scale overnight operation in the southern village of Maqooqaha, the country’s Ministry of Defence announced on June 29.

The assault was carried out by the elite Danab Commandos of the Somali National Army, in coordination with international partners. The target was a known Al-Shabaab stronghold in the Lower Jubba region, a strategic area where the militant group has maintained an entrenched presence, Caliber.Az informs, quoting Somalian media.

“During the operation, 37 terrorists were neutralised, including key leaders of the Al-Shabaab group,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement, though it did not disclose the identities of the senior figures killed.

Officials emphasised that the operation was “precisely planned” and confirmed that no civilian casualties were reported.

The jihadist group, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda, has waged a relentless insurgency against Somalia’s internationally backed government for over 15 years. It frequently conducts bombings, assassinations, and guerrilla-style attacks, aiming to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law across the country.

Al-Shabaab, whose name means “The Youth” in Arabic, emerged in the mid-2000s as the radical youth wing of the Islamic Courts Union, which briefly controlled large parts of southern Somalia before being ousted by Ethiopian troops backed by the United States.

By Khagan Isayev