136 al-Shabaab fighters were killed and up to 98 others were injured in an operation carried out by the Somali government and ‘international partners’ between Tawakal and Garasjered in Lower Shabelle region on January 29, 2023.

BBC News quoted the Somali government who said that 136 al-Shabaab fighters, including top commanders, were killed in a joint operation carried out with Somalia’s international partners.

Caasimada Online News quoted Deputy Minister of Information, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adala added that 90 other members of al-Shabaab were also wounded and that the operation took place in a jungle between Tawakal and Garasjered, 12km west of Janale district in the Lower Shabelle region. A tweet from @JournalistAadan put the number of injuries at 98.

Caasimada Online News also provided the names of some of the high-ranking leaders: Salman Dhere, responsible for the group’s coastal operations, and Moallim Salahey, who was in charge of attacks on the towns of Awdhegle, Qoryolay, and Janale. Moallim Hashi, a leader in charge of the group’s operations in the Lower Shabelle region. The government claimed to also have destroyed a weapons cache, vehicles, and equipment for explosive devices.

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.