On October 8th, 2024, 32 Al-Shabaab militants and between four and twenty-plus government soldiers were killed in a joint operation involving the Somali National Army, local militias, and international partners in the Jirli area/Cowsweyne area of Galgaduud, Somalia, according to government and media sources.

In the first operation, the SNA, with support from local militias and unidentified international partners, attacked the Jirli region east of Galgaduud and Middle Shabelle regions, killing 32 militants, including “several commanders,” according to a statement by the Ministry of Information. There were conflicting reports on government casualties: Four SNA soldiers were killed in the operation, according to the government statement; while over 20 government soldiers and commanders were killed, according to “independent sources…on the ground” cited in local media reports. A second operation was carried out and has been documented separately in USSOM442.

It is unclear which type of operation was carried out and whether it involved ground forces and/or air support. While no sources directly implicated the US in the operation, the Somali government’s reference to airstrikes and “international partners” has in the past indicated US involvement but could also refer to Turkish involvement or United Arab Emirates involvement.