Saturday August 30, 2025
FILE – Somali National Army soldiers gather during operations in Galgadud region
Mogadishu (HOL) — Heavy airstrikes struck Al-Shabaab positions late Friday along the border of Galgadud and Middle Shabelle regions, killing an unknown number of militants, according to residents.
The raids targeted Hareera Ulusow, a village controlled by the militant group. Residents said the strikes levelled militant bases where fighters and senior commanders had gathered. Explosions were powerful enough to be heard in distant villages, illustrating the scale of the bombardment.
The border area between Galgadud and Middle Shabelle has been a key front in operations to disrupt Al-Shabaab’s command nodes and supply lines in central Somalia.
Casualty figures remain unclear. Witnesses reported that several Al-Shabaab members were killed, but there has been no official confirmation from Somali authorities or international partners.
In the past two weeks, U.S. Africa Command announced separate actions elsewhere in the country, including an Aug. 17 strike southwest of Bariire and an Aug. 23 strike in southern Somalia
The Somali government and allied forces have frequently relied on air power to disrupt Al-Shabaab, which continues to wage a nearly two-decade-long insurgency across central and southern Somalia. Galgadud and Middle Shabelle have been focal points of recent military campaigns aimed at cutting militant supply lines and reclaiming territory.
Al-Shabaab, which is aligned with al-Qaida, has fought to topple Somalia’s federal government. The group has carried out deadly attacks in Mogadishu and across the Horn of Africa, targeting government installations, security forces, and civilians
