NISA Kills Al-Shabaab Chiefs, 14 Fighters

Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said Sunday that its forces, working with international partners, killed two senior Al-Shabaab propaganda officials and 14 other militants in coordinated raids across Hirshabelle State, dealing a fresh blow to the group’s media and combat operations.

The operations, carried out in the Miirtaqwo area of Middle Shabelle and the Tardo area of Hiiraan, form part of an intensifying campaign by Somali security forces and their allies to dismantle Al-Shabaab’s leadership, propaganda infrastructure and fighting capacity. The strikes come as the government pushes ongoing offensives in central Somalia, where the al-Qaeda-linked group has clung to territory despite losing several towns in recent years.

In Miirtaqwo, NISA said its forces destroyed a facility the militants called the “Security House,” which was reportedly being used to store equipment for Al-Andalus radio, Al-Shabaab’s main propaganda outlet. The agency identified those killed as Abdisamad Mohamed, described as head of Al-Andalus’ propaganda department, and Ali Salad, another member of the group’s media wing. A third militant was seriously wounded, NISA said.

“The equipment they used for misleading the public was destroyed,” the agency said in its statement.