Wednesday 4 Maarso 2026 {HMC} Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency said Tuesday it has killed a senior al-Shabab leader accused of masterminding several high-profile attacks in 2025, including the deadly assault at Godka Jilacow.
NISA said the operation was carried out March 1 in the Hantiwadaag area of Awdheegle district in Lower Shabelle region, in coordination with international partners.
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The agency identified the militant as a key operative who used multiple aliases, including Kamaludin Yunis Mohamed, Salim Nur Sheikh Abdirahin, Arale and Abdullahi Hassan Ali. Officials described him as the central figure behind a network responsible for planning and executing major attacks targeting civilians and security forces.
Among the attacks attributed to him were the Oct. 4, 2025, assault at Godka Jilacow; the July 9, 2025, suicide bombing at Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy; and the Dec. 10, 2025, attack on the General Dhega-Badan Training School, also known as Xero Nacnac. Those incidents resulted in multiple deaths among civilians, soldiers and officers.
NISA said the operation followed more than 150 days of surveillance and pursuit. Officials said particular care was taken to minimize civilian harm, noting that the suspect frequently moved between populated areas, including Mubarak, Ugunji, Daarusalaam, Hantiwadaag, Kurtunwaarey and Gendershe in Lower Shabelle.
The agency said the strike was conducted in response to the killings of civilians and security personnel in the earlier attacks.
Independent verification of the operation and the identity of the militant was not immediately available.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked extremist group, has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for more than 16 years. The group regularly carries out bombings, assassinations and coordinated assaults against government installations, military bases and civilian targets.
