Somalia: At war with Al-Shabaab
Pic Credit:;Feisal Omar/Reuters
(Shivangi Sharma)
Somali security forces have intensified counter-terrorism operations across central and southern Somalia over the past month, as officials declared the country is “at war” with Al-Shabaab. During inspections of newly reinforced checkpoints in Mogadishu, senior security official Colonel Abdikani AliMohamed stated that the fight against the Islamist group is ongoing, as the strategy of Al-Shabaab remains evolving and complex in terms of attack mechanisms. On January 4, 2026, the Ministry of Defence of the Federal Government of Somalia released details of a major overnight military operation carried out by the Somali National Army (SNA) in the Jilib District of Middle Jubba region, resulting in the killing of 15 militants and the capture of another eight. Somalia has been locked in a violent confrontation with Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group, for more than 15 years. However, developments between December 2025 and early January 2026 suggest a notable escalation by the Somali Federal Government, backed by international partners, including the United States, marking a phase aimed at dismantling the group’s leadership, logistics, and operational sanctuaries.
On December 10, 2025, Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), in coordination with international security partners, conducted a targeted operation in Jilib, a key Al-Shabaab stronghold in Middle Juba. The operation killed Abdullahi Osman Mohamed alias Engineer Ismail, the group’s chief explosives expert and mastermind behind the 2017 Mogadishu bombing that killed 587 people, the deadliest terrorist attack in Somalia’s history. Another senior figure, Abdikarim Mohamed Hersi, a media and regional coordinator for Juba, was also killed. On December 27, 2025, Somali National Army (SNA) forces killed 15 Al-Shabaab militants, including three senior leaders, during ground operations in the Bakool region of southwestern Somalia, according to the Ministry of Defence. On December 28, 2025, two additional senior Al-Shabaab commanders were neutralised in follow-up operations in southern Somalia, further weakening the group’s command structure. On December 30, 2025, the Ministry of Defence announced that Somali forces disrupted an Al-Shabaab plot to plant Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along civilian and security routes. On December 31, 2025, Somali forces, supported by international partners, carried out airstrikes in Jabad Godane, southeastern Somalia, killing 29 militants and destroying vehicles and weapons caches, significantly degrading the group’s logistical capabilities. Somali government forces successfully repelled a pre-dawn assault by Al-Shabaab militants in the Middle Shabelle region on January 2, 2026.
On January 4, 2026, Somalia’s elite Gorgor commandos carried out a targeted operation against AlShabaab positions in the Lower Shabelle region, uncovering a network of militant hideouts and seizing a cache of IEDs. The operation focused on the Jawad Ari area, a known transit corridor for militants operating across the southern sector, as reported by the Ministry of Defence. As central and southern Somalia remain at risk of Al-Shabaab terrorism, the recent wave of operations indicates a clear aggressive shift in Somali counter-terrorism strategy. The elimination of particularly significant militants projects the vastness of the operations. The repeated targeting of Jilib underscores its importance as a strategic hub for Al-Shabaab’s leadership, recruitment, training, and bomb-making operations. By striking this hub repeatedly, Somali forces aim to fracture command cohesion and disrupt long-term planning cycles. International support, especially in intelligence sharing, continues to play a decisive role in these operations.
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” against terrorism in 2022, vowing to attack Al-Shabaab militants on the frontlines, as he understood the pain of the people who were suffering due to terrorism. While Somali officials assert that momentum is on their side, Al-Shabaab is unlikely to collapse in the short term. The group is expected to respond with retaliatory attacks, particularly in Mogadishu, and the Somali security forces are on high alert. However, sustained pressure on leadership and logistics may dampen the scale of such attacks.
If current operations continue at this intensity through 2026, Al-Shabaab may be forced into a more localised insurgency, losing its ability to conduct large-scale, coordinated attacks. The success of this “total war” strategy will ultimately depend on the government’s ability to maintain public trust and prevent
militant re-infiltration. For now, Somalia appears to be entering one of its most consequential phases in the fight against terrorism, which could redefine the country’s security trajectory for years to come.
Author Shivangi Sharma is Senior Fellow at Institute for Conflict Management.
(The views expressed in the above piece are personal and of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Bharat Fact views.)
