The US and Somali forces have conducted a significant airstrike against Al-Shabab militants in the town of Adan Yabaal, located north of the capital Mogadishu. The strike was executed during a fierce battle for control over this strategic area, crucial for military operations in the region. The Somali information ministry reported that the coordinated airstrike resulted in the deaths of 12 militants, including several high-ranking members of the Islamist group linked to al-Qaeda.
This latest military action follows a series of alarming attacks by Al-Shabab, raising concerns about a potential resurgence of the militant group, which has been embroiled in a conflict with the Somali government for almost two decades. Al-Shabab’s objective is to dismantle the federal government and establish an Islamist state in Somalia.
Recent military engagements have seen the group consolidated in areas across southern and central Somalia, despite the efforts of an African Union-led peacekeeping force that had significantly pushed them back in 2022 and 2023. The Somali government, however, maintains that Al-Shabab has been significantly weakened.
The airstrike late on Wednesday was characterized as a retaliation to an earlier Al-Shabab raid on Adan Yabaal using heavy explosives. While the militants claimed to have seized control of the town, the government has refrained from confirming who currently holds the region. Nonetheless, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud emphasized the importance of the town in the ongoing battle against the insurgents, having visited it last month to meet with military leaders.
In a separate engagement elsewhere, Somali national forces reported killing at least 35 Al-Shabab fighters near Baidoa, who had attempted an offensive against an army base. Despite these setbacks for the militants, President Mohamud has portrayed the situation as manageable, reiterating the government’s resolve to combat the ongoing insurgency.
