Somalia’s Defence Ministry said national forces killed more than 130 Al Shabaab fighters during a major security operation in the Lower Juba region, according to media.
In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said the Somali National Army, backed by local security forces, thwarted a coordinated attack on the town of Kudhaa after more than 24 hours of fighting.
The ministry described the operation as a decisive blow to the armed group, saying dozens of fighters were also wounded during direct clashes with government forces. It added that troops seized weapons and military vehicles left behind as Al Shabaab fighters retreated.
Security forces said Kudhaa and surrounding areas are now fully under the control of the Somali National Army, including the Danab Special Forces and Jubbaland Security Forces, which remain on high alert as stabilisation operations continue.
Kudhaa is a small but strategically significant island town in the Lower Juba region, located around 130 kilometres south of Kismayo, the administrative capital of Jubaland.
Al Shabaab has waged an insurgency against the Somali state for more than 16 years, regularly targeting security forces, government officials, and civilians.
Since mid-2025, Somali forces have intensified operations against the group with backing from the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia and other international partners. The mission’s mandate was renewed by the UN Security Council in December and extended until the end of 2026.