Nearly 100 Militants from Al-Shabaab Killed in Central Somalia

Around 100 militants from the terrorist group Al-Shabaab were killed in the Hiraan region of central Somalia, following clashes between the army and the group’s fighters in recent days.

Somali Deputy Minister of Information, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adala, stated at a press conference in Mogadishu on Monday that the Somali army and militia forces inflicted significant losses on Al-Shabaab, killing about 100 militants, including leaders, and liberating towns and villages along the Shabelle River in the Hiraan region.
Abdirahman Yusuf also mentioned that the Somali government had defeated the group in the media by shutting down its media platforms and channels.

Meanwhile, officials and reporters from Reuters reported that forces from Puntland, a semi-autonomous region in Somalia, seized large areas of land from the ISIS-affiliated group during a weeks-long offensive and hope that this will garner more international support.
The advance against an ISIS faction was part of airstrikes carried out last week in the early stages of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Before these strikes, Reuters reporters, who were allowed to visit the village of Bali Dideen — which had been under ISIS control for ten years — observed Puntland security forces patrolling the area, and locals moving around near army trucks destroyed in the recent battles.

The village is located in the northern Jebel Golis mountains, a stronghold of ISIS in Somalia, and was also targeted by U.S. airstrikes. Residents said security forces had taken control of other areas.

Many villagers had fled due to the militants’ control, especially after they killed the local district commissioner in 2021, and had moved to nearby villages and the coastal city of Bosaso.

One resident, upon returning to the village, said: “There was so much fear. We were threatened. Even though we are mothers and stayed inside our homes, fear drove people to flee.”

The ISIS group in Somalia is estimated to have between 700 and 1,500 fighters in Puntland’s mountains, much smaller than the number of Al-Shabaab members, who are linked to Al-Qaeda and control large parts of southern and central Somalia. However, analysts say ISIS’s Somali branch has become increasingly significant in global jihadist movements in recent years.

Officials and analysts say ISIS has received support from foreign fighters coming from the Middle East and other African countries, as well as funds acquired from extorting local businesses.

Media outlets reported last year that Abdulkadir Mumin, the leader of ISIS in Somalia, had become a global leader of the group. ISIS has not confirmed these reports.

The U.S. military has been conducting airstrikes against the group for years and has also assisted in training security forces in Puntland.

Mahmoud Aidid, the Minister of Information in Puntland, told Reuters that security forces in the region had taken control of 250 square kilometers, including 50 bases, from ISIS since December 31, in the largest assault on the group in years.