A joint airstrike by the United States and Somali armed forces has killed 12 al-Shabab militants, including several senior commanders, amid heavy fighting over control of the strategic town of Adan Yabaal in central Somalia. The Somali government described the airstrike, conducted late Wednesday, as a “well-coordinated” operation aimed at neutralizing the threat posed by the al-Qaeda-linked militant group.
The town of Adan Yabaal, located in the Middle Shabelle region north of the capital Mogadishu, has been a critical launchpad for military offensives against al-Shabab. The militant group raided the town earlier on Wednesday using heavy explosives, sparking intense clashes with government forces. Residents and local sources reported that the militants had seized control of the town, although the government has not confirmed who currently holds it.
According to Somalia’s information ministry, the airstrike targeted a known militant gathering point and hideout, successfully eliminating key figures within the group. Notably, the ministry emphasized that no civilian casualties occurred in the operation.
The assault on Adan Yabaal is the latest in a wave of intensified al-Shabab attacks that have raised concerns of a possible resurgence. Just weeks earlier, militants targeted a convoy carrying President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The group, which has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for nearly two decades, continues to control large swathes of territory in the country’s southern and central regions.
Despite recent gains by government forces, supported by an African Union-led peacekeeping mission, al-Shabab remains a potent threat. The Somali government insists the group has been weakened but acknowledges that setbacks in the battlefield are part of a long-term struggle.
President Mohamud, who visited Adan Yabaal last month to underscore its strategic importance, remains resolute in his administration’s goal to defeat the militants. In a separate incident on Thursday, Somali forces reportedly killed 35 militants near Baidoa after repelling an attempted attack on a military base.
The ongoing conflict highlights the fragile security situation in Somalia and the continued need for international cooperation to combat extremist threats.
