Jubbaland Special Operations Forces have killed 12 Al-Shabaab militants and captured five others during a planned security operation in the Hargeisa Yarey area of Somalia’s Lower Juba region, officials said on Sunday.
The overnight operation, which began late Saturday and continued until dawn, targeted locations where Al-Shabaab fighters were believed to be hiding. Jubbaland military officials confirmed that among those killed were three senior commanders who had been on security watchlists in recent weeks.
According to the officials, one of the slain militants was the alleged right-hand man of a senior leader within Al-Shabaab’s intelligence wing, known as Amniyat. His movements had reportedly been under close surveillance prior to the operation.
In addition to the fatalities, Jubbaland forces captured five suspected Al-Shabaab members during the raid. Officials leading the operation said the arrests were made as troops secured the area following the clashes.
The Jubbaland administration has intensified military operations in Lower Juba in recent months as part of ongoing efforts to weaken Al-Shabaab’s presence and disrupt its operational networks in the region.
