Monday February 16, 2026

Kismayo (HOL) — Jubaland security forces killed more than 60 al-Shabab fighters, including senior operatives, during a four-day operation in the Lagta Hola–Wajeer area of Badhaadhe district in Lower Juba, officials said Sunday.
The Jubaland Intelligence and Security Agency said the offensive targeted militant positions in the “Black Sea” forested zone, long considered a stronghold and staging ground for attacks in the region.
The operation was led by Jubaland’s security director, Mohamed Ahmed Sabriye, known as “Basaam,” and was conducted with air support from international partners, according to regional officials.
Security authorities said forces recovered the bodies of 60 fighters and seized a cache of weapons and equipment, including land mines, improvised explosive devices, communications gear and other military supplies.
Jubaland TV reported that several al-Shabab facilities were destroyed during the operation, including logistics hubs, weapons depots, bomb-making sites and communications centers.
Officials said the targeted sites had been used to coordinate attacks against civilians and security installations, including a recent assault in Kudhaa.
Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe, who is currently in Mogadishu for political consultations, praised the regional forces for what he described as a decisive blow against the militant group. He pledged that operations would continue until al-Shabab is removed from Lower Juba.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-affiliated group, has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for more than 15 years and maintains pockets of influence in parts of southern Somalia, including rural areas of Lower Juba.