Major terrorist leader eliminated in African state

Somali security forces have killed a prominent extremist after a long pursuit in the Lower Shabelle region

Somali forces have killed a senior leader of the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab in a targeted operation in the country’s Lower Shabelle region, authorities said on Monday.

The raid was carried out on Sunday in the Hantiwadaag area of Awdheegle district by the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) with support from international partners, according to a government statement.

Officials said the man, known by several aliases including Kamaludin Yunis Mohamed, Salim Nur Sheikh Abdirahin, Arale, and Abdullahi Hassan Ali, was a “key” planner of a string of deadly attacks. 

Authorities linked him to the October 4, 2025 assault on Godka Jilacow prison in the capital Mogadishu. The attack, which targeted the high-security object near the presidential palace, involved a six‑hour siege in which militants disguised themselves as security personnel and were ultimately killed by government forces, though dozens of people were injured.

The militant leader was also tied to the July 9, 2025 suicide bombing at the Jaalle Siad Military Academy in the Hodan District of Mogadishu, where at least four Somali army officers were killed and others wounded when a bomber detonated explosives, officials said.

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In addition, the suspect directed the December 10, 2025 attempt by an Al-Shabaab suicide bomber to enter the General Dhega‑Badan Training School in Mogadishu, where security forces killed the attacker but several soldiers were reported wounded. 

NISA stressed that he directly oversaw the militant cells responsible for carrying out those attacks.

“The operation was conducted in response to the bloodshed of innocent civilians ... and security personnel,” the statement said, adding that security services had tracked the suspect for more than 150 days. During that time, he frequently hid in populated neighborhoods. 

The agency said actions against Al-Shabaab and Islamic State-linked militants would continue “until full security and lasting stability are achieved across the country.” 

READ MORE: Somali forces repel attack at high-security prison

The Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab have been carrying out regular attacks in several African countries, including those in the Sahel region. The terrorist group continues to carry out raids, bombings, and targeted assassinations in an effort to destabilize the Somali government and regional security structures.