LEDEBODY: Somalia announced Monday it has killed 14 senior Al-Shabaab leaders in joint operations over the past ten months, including the head of the group’s explosives unit, Ismail Engineer, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) told state media agency SONNA. The targeted strikes, carried out with international security partners, also removed four identified commanders responsible for attacks and bomb supplies in central regions, according to the agency.
NISA said the fatalities included Nunule, described as the mastermind of assaults on government forces in central Somalia; Tuutax, who handled explosives procurement; and Mohamed Sahal Abu Usama and Abdullahi Wadaad, whose roles were not detailed. Officials released the names to underscore what they called a systematic effort to dismantle Al-Shabaab’s top tier and erode its ability to plan high-profile attacks.
The agency credited improved field intelligence and closer cooperation with foreign allies for the surge in successful raids since last August. “Sustained pressure on the command network is expected to further disrupt activities and enhance security across affected regions,” NISA said in a brief statement carried by SONNA.
Somalia’s army, backed by African Union forces and U. S. Air support, has intensified offensives against Al-Shabaab this year, retaking swathes of territory in Galmudug and Hirshabelle states. Security analysts say removing mid- and upper-level operatives can temporarily stall the group’s bomb-making capacity, although analysts caution Al-Shabaab has previously shown resilience by swiftly replacing slain leaders.
No details of the individual strikes were provided, and the agency did not specify dates or locations of the recent killings. Security sources in Mogadishu say most of the targeted leaders were hit while traveling or in rural hideouts.
Despite battlefield gains, Al — Shabaab continues to carry out ambushes and suicide bombings in the capital and along major supply roads. Officials warn that the death of top cadres may prompt retaliatory attacks, and have urged residents to increase vigilance.
The release is the first official accounting of senior militants killed since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an “all-out war” against the al-Qaida-linked insurgency in mid-2022.
Source: SONNA state media report, 28 August 2024
