Somali Government Forces and Al-Shabab Clash in Deadly Battle Near Kismayo

On Wednesday, intense clashes in southern Somalia led to the deaths of at least 11 regional and federal government forces, according to officials. The fighting broke out near Wayaanta, approximately 60 kilometers southwest of Kismayo in Jubaland state after government forces launched an assault on a suspected militant gathering spot.

Three officials, who requested anonymity as they are not permitted to speak with the media, informed VOA Voice of Africa that in addition to the 11 fatalities among government soldiers, over 20 others were wounded. One official claimed that more than 20 al-Shabab militants also lost their lives in the battle.

Last year, Somali forces conducted an operation in the same area, during which an al-Shabab commander, believed to be a deputy emir, was killed, according to regional sources. During that operation, the U.S. military provided support by executing a “collective self-defense” airstrike against al-Shabab in Wayaanta, resulting in the deaths of three fighters.

Al-Shabab has waged a conflict against Somali governments since 2006, maintaining control over large rural areas in south-central Somalia. After the Somali president assumed office in May 2022, local fighters, backed by federal forces, succeeded in reclaiming significant areas in central regions from al-Shabab.

Somalia’s intelligence and security agency reported that last Sunday, a 12-hour operation near Yaaqle, about 50 kilometers north of Mogadishu, led to the death of 27 al-Shabab militants. The agency stated that the operation targeted militants preparing to attack civilians, and during the mission, vehicles and other equipment were also destroyed.

Despite the recent setbacks, al-Shabab remains a threat to both Somali and African Union forces, continuing to carry out deadly attacks. On the same day that Somalia’s intelligence reported the operation, two African Union soldiers were killed, and a third was injured in an al-Shabab mortar attack on their base within Mogadishu's international airport perimeter.