Government Forces Target Al-Shabaab Hideouts in Daru-Nimca and Tawakal

MOGADISHU — Somali government forces have conducted operations against Al-Shabaab in the Daru-Nimca and Tawakal areas of the Middle Shabelle region over the past two weeks, killing two senior commanders, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence.

The ministry identified the slain commanders as Hassan Hussein Hurshow, also known as Hassan Garabdheere, and Abdullahi Faadhuud. Garabdheere was responsible for Al-Shabaab activities in what the group refers to as the Sakawad area, covering Adaddeey, Adaan-Lexeey and Daru-Nicma, which fall under the Ruun-Nirgood district of Middle Shabelle.

The operations targeted militants who had been active in the Caddadley, Cadnaan-leexey and Daru-Nimca areas. One of the operations specifically targeted the militants leading the attacks, resulting in one commander killed and another wounded.

The Daru-Nimca and Tawakal areas fall under the Ruunirgood district of Middle Shabelle, where a senior Al-Shabaab commander was killed by two young herders on August 17, 2026. The slain commander was identified as Xasan Calasow Raage, also known as Xasan Xusuleey, a 50-year-old native of the Ruunirgood district who served as the transport commander for the area and had previously held the position of head of the group’s extortion unit. The killing of Xasan Xusuleey is part of a broader pattern of community-led resistance against Al-Shabaab in central and southern Somalia.

Intensified Operations Across Middle Shabelle

The operations are part of a broader pattern of intensified security operations across the Middle Shabelle region, which has long been identified as a vital logistical pathway used by insurgents to transport fighters and explosives between remote hideouts and urban centers. NISA and international partners recently conducted a planned operation in the Fidow area, targeting a house where Al-Shabaab militants were reportedly sheltering, successfully eliminating the militants inside.

The Somali National Armed Forces have also conducted a 72-hour planned security operation across the Buulo Cabdalla corridor in Lower Shabelle, resulting in the death of 22 Al-Shabaab militants, including their regional commander, Cabdiraxmaan Jeeri. The military campaign forms part of a broader offensive to dismantle militant strongholds in the region.

In July 2026, NISA forces eliminated eight Al-Shabaab militants, including two commanders, on the outskirts of the Basra area in Middle Shabelle. That operation struck a militant assembly point near the riverbank, killing the commander in charge of the group’s mine operations and the commander responsible for 107mm rocket attacks, along with six other members of his unit.

The Ministry of Defence has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining operational pressure, stating that tactical actions will continue until the remaining Khawaarij elements are fully neutralized and national security is restored.

Intelligence-Led Operations and Community Resistance

NISA has conducted a series of coordinated strikes across the Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan regions, targeting the group’s media infrastructure and militant assembly points. In July 2026, operations resulted in the deaths of two senior Al-Shabaab propaganda operatives and 14 other militants, marking a tactical victory in the government’s ongoing counter-terrorism campaign.

In August 2026, NISA killed three Al-Shabaab commanders and seriously wounded senior leader Mustaf Caato in a planned operation in the Maxaas district of the Hiiraan region. Caato, who was the group’s overall commander for the so-called “fronts” in the Hiiraan region, had long been involved in planning and coordinating terrorist attacks.

NISA and international partners have also eliminated two senior commanders within the Khawaarij network in highly synchronized precision operations. The operations eliminated Abdihamid Ali Abdullahi Maalim, who served as the primary link connecting the domestic insurgency with broader international terrorist syndicates, and Suleyman Omar Fidow, the supreme commander of the group’s suicide bomber divisions.

The Macawiisley militia, composed of local volunteers, has played a vital role in supporting Somali National Army offensives and maintaining control over liberated villages. The killing of Xasan Calasow by two young herders represents a significant development in the struggle against the militant group, highlighting the growing willingness of communities to resist Al-Shabaab’s abuses.

Critical Note

The killing of two senior Al-Shabaab commanders in Middle Shabelle represents a tactical success for government forces, but the broader security situation in the region remains precarious. The Daru-Nimca area has changed hands multiple times in recent years, highlighting the difficulty of holding territory once it has been liberated. The pattern of recapture and loss points to deeper challenges in sustaining military gains, including governance deficits, inter-clan disputes, and inadequate security force capacity.

While the Ministry of Defence has praised the operations, questions remain about the government’s ability to consolidate these gains. The collapse of clan militia collaboration due to inter-clan disputes and the persistent vulnerability of liberated areas suggest that military operations alone are insufficient to secure lasting stability. The government must invest in governance, reconciliation, and service delivery in liberated areas to prevent Al-Shabaab from regrouping. Without a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of instability, the cycle of liberation and recapture is likely to continue.