On the 23rd of February, 2024, the Somali National Army (SNA), supported by international partners, reportedly conducted a night-time military operation against Al-Shabaab in the Farah-Adan and Jawle areas of Harardhere district in Mudug region, central Somalia. It was reported that several Al-Shabaab leaders were killed in the attack, however the exact number of Al-Shabaab members killed has not been confirmed, and their identities remain unknown. To date, there have been no reports of civilian harm as a result of the operation.

The military operation was reported by Shabelle Media on the 24th of February. The report stated the location of the attack and also referred to comments from Maslah Macalin, the General Secretary of Harar Dheere district who “told the government media that members of Al-Shabaab, including leaders and militias, were killed in the operation last night, but he did not say how many”.

Additionally, on the 24th of February, a brief statement containing the approximate time and location of the operation (Farah-Adan) was posted online by MENA FN, quoting a report on the attack by the Kuwait News Agency. Halbeeg News posted a similar statement on February 24th which referred to information released by the Government of Somalia, and noted that the operation had been conducted in cooperation with “allied forces”.

While no sources directly implicated the US in the operation, the Somali government’s reference to “international partners” has in the past indicated US involvement but could also refer to Turkish involvement.