Thursday 17,April 2025 {HMC} A U.S. airstrike conducted in coordination with the Somali National Army (SNA) killed at least 12 Al-Shabaab militants, including senior commanders, in the Aden Yabaal district of the Middle Shabelle region on Wednesday night, the Somali government announced.
According to a statement released Thursday, the joint operation by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Somali forces targeted a compound where Al-Shabaab militants had gathered for shelter. The government confirmed that there were no civilian casualties in the strike.
“This precision strike is part of ongoing coordinated operations aimed at neutralizing the leadership and operational capabilities of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group,” the statement said. “The National Army and AFRICOM are still assessing the full extent of the enemy’s losses.”
The airstrike came just hours after Al-Shabaab militants launched a large-scale attack and seized control of Aden Yabaal, a strategic town in Middle Shabelle that had been under government control since its liberation in December 2022.
Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the takeover, releasing unverified video footage purportedly showing fighters inside the town.
HOL could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
The U.S. and Somali forces have intensified counterterrorism operations across central Somalia in recent weeks amid a sharp rise in Al-Shabaab attacks. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), Al-Shabaab’s activity in the Hiraan and Middle Shabelle regions has increased by more than 50% compared to 2024, reversing some of the territorial gains made during the federal government’s landmark 2022 offensive.
