18 January, 2026
The Somali military announced Sunday that it had foiled an attack launched by Al Shabab, affiliated with Al Qaeda, on the Gubad Gobni area in Middle Shabelle Region, southeastern Somalia.
The military had entirely recaptured the Gubad Gobni area and inflicted heavy losses on Al Qaeda militants. It is currently conducting a large-scale combing operation in the area to go after Al Shabab remnants, the Somali Defense Ministry reported in a statement.
Over the past months, the Somali military has restored numerous areas in the central and southern parts of the country from Al Shabab militants, whom the army has been battling for over a decade.
