Mogadishu — Somali government forces, backed by troops from the AU forces, launched large-scale military operations on Sunday targeting Al-Shabaab strongholds in and around Bariire, a strategic town in the country’s southern Lower Shabelle region, officials said.
The coordinated offensive comes amid renewed efforts by the federal government to dismantle Al-Shabaab’s remaining footholds in the south of the country.
“Heavy operations are ongoing in Bariire and surrounding areas, and our troops have made significant advances,” a senior military officer involved in the campaign told Radio Shabelle by phone on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
The officer said Somali forces, in joint maneuvers with AU partners under the rebranded AUSSOM mission (formerly ATMIS), engaged Al-Shabaab fighters in a series of clashes on Sunday morning, inflicting what he described as “heavy losses” on the militants.
“Several members of Al-Shabaab were killed, and others fled the area. We are pursuing them into nearby villages where they have been operating secretly,” the officer added.
Residents of Bariire confirmed to Radio Shabelle that gunfire and explosions were heard from early morning until midday as government forces pushed deeper into the rural zones west of the town.
“I saw dozens of soldiers moving into the area,” said one local farmer by phone. “Later we heard loud blasts and gunfire. People are staying indoors now, fearing more fighting.”
No official casualty figures have been released by the Somali government, and Al-Shabaab has not commented on the clashes as of Monday morning.
Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked group, has waged an insurgency in Somalia for over 15 years and continues to carry out deadly attacks against both civilian and military targets despite intensified counterterrorism efforts.
The latest operation in Lower Shabelle is part of a broader national offensive aimed at eradicating the group from southern and central Somalia before AUSSOM’s planned drawdown completes in 2026.
Further details on the ongoing operation are expected in the coming hours, according to the Ministry of Defence.