Tuesday 22,April 2025 {HMC} Las Anod officials confirmed the death of Farah Aydiid Jama, who is reported to be an Ethiopian Consulate official in Garowe, the capital of Puntland state in Somalia.

The officials attributed his killing on Sunday 20 April to the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, according to Somaliland local media reports.

A letter purportedly written by the Ethiopian Consulate General Office in Puntland, dated 13 January 2025, and circulated by local media outlets, mentioned Farah Aydiid’s designation as a community coordinator and supporter of Ethiopian citizens in the region.
The letter, signed by Yidnekachew Tekele, Chargé d’affaires, stated his mission was to “coordinate and support Ethiopians, because of the current conditions, at boarder areas and report back to the consulate.” Addis Standard did not verify the authenticity of the letter.

As of now, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not officially confirmed the death of Farah Aydiid Jama, nor if he was an official on active duty at the Ethiopian Consulate in Garowe at the time of the killing.

The Eastern Sool authorities have not released a full statement on the matter, either, and investigations into the assassination are ongoing.

But speaking to a local media, the Attorney General of the Eastern Sool Administration, Avv Cabdillaahi Xirsi, confirmed that Farah Aydiid Jama was killed in Las Anod by unidentified gunmen, whom he identified as suspected members of Al-Shabaab. The attackers have not yet been apprehended.

According the Attorney General, Farah was abducted from his residence in Las Anod, “brutally tortured, and then executed”. His body, bearing severe signs of physical abuse, was discovered dumped in the Ceelka Goojacade valley on the outskirts of the city.

“He was badly beaten and then shot. His body shows signs of torture,” Horn Diplomat quoted the Attorney General Avv Cabdillaahi as saying.

Tuesday 22,April 2025 {HMC} Somali Second Deputy Prime Minister Abdusalam Abdullahi Ali chaired a high-level session on Monday focused on enhancing the country’s military offensive against Al-Shabaab and ISIS, as part of the government’s effort to eradicate terrorism from Somalia.

The meeting, attended by members of the National Committee for Supporting the War Against Al-Shabaab, centered on accelerating frontline support for Somali National Army (SNA) units and allied militia groups.

Officials discussed logistical reinforcement, coordination between security institutions, and strategies to sustain the momentum of recent gains.

“The government remains fully committed to eliminating extremist threats and ensuring long-term national security,” said Deputy Prime Minister Abdusalam Abdullahi Ali, who also heads the national committee overseeing the offensive.

The coordination session comes amid a surge in military activity in central and southern Somalia, where the SNA and local Ma’awisley fighters—backed by international partners—have escalated operations targeting Al-Shabaab strongholds in the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions.

Al-Shabaab, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Somalia, the United Nations, the United States, and the African Union, has increased its attacks in recent months, prompting intensified countermeasures by the federal government and allied forces.

Officials at the meeting also discussed improving inter-agency collaboration to close security gaps and ensure that newly liberated areas receive the resources needed to maintain stability.

Tuesday 22,April 2025 {HMC} U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab militants near the Adan Yabaal district in the Middle Shabelle region on April 16, 2025.

In a statement issued Monday, AFRICOM said its initial assessment indicated that no civilians were harmed in the strike. The number of al-Shabaab militants killed has not yet been disclosed.

“Al-Shabaab has proved both its will and capability to attack U.S. forces,” the command stated, underscoring its continued support for Somali-led efforts to dismantle the group’s operational capacity.

The strike comes amid heightened tensions in Adan Yabaal, a strategic town about 220 kilometers north of Mogadishu that was recently overrun by al-Shabaab fighters. Militants launched a coordinated pre-dawn assault on April 16, forcing government troops to withdraw after hours of intense combat, according to a Somali security official quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group designated as a terrorist organization by the Somali government, the United Nations, the United States, and the African Union, continues to mount deadly insurgent operations across the country. The group’s capture of Adan Yabaal marks a significant setback for the Somali government’s ongoing military campaign to reclaim territory in central and southern regions.

AFRICOM reiterated its commitment to working alongside Somali and international partners to counter the extremist threat. “We will continue to take action to degrade al-Shabaab’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad,” the statement read.