More than 30 Al-Shabaab militants were killed in an airstrike declared by Somali forces on Shabeelow village, located in the Mudug region of central eastern Somalia on the 23rd of September 2023, according to the Somali Ministry of Defense.

Whilst an exact number of casualties was not given, the Ministry of Defense statement reported that the attack had been carried out against “Khawarij centers, resulting in heavy losses for the Khawarij. Over 30 neutralized, including leaders and militiamen”. Khawarij is the preferred term currently used by the Somali government to refer to Al-Shabaab militants. The statement added that the operation had dismantled key “gathering points” used by the militant group.

Middle East Monitor News, on the 24th of September, reported on the attack, noting that “the airstrike came hours after a suicide truck car bomb in the central town of Beledwayne killed more than 18 people and wounded 40 others”.

On the 23rd of September, independent journalist Zakeriye Axmed commented on X/Twitter regarding the statement released by the Somali Ministry of Defense, acknowledging that, other than the statement itself, there was “no independent confirmation” of the attack.

While no sources directly implicated the US in the operation, the Somali government’s reference to airstrikes has in the past indicated US involvement.

The local time of the incident is unknown.