US-Somali airstrike targets militants amid fierce battle for strategic town

A joint airstrike by Somali forces and the United States military has killed 12 al-Shabab fighters, including senior commanders, as fierce clashes broke out over the control of Adan Yabaal, a town seen as crucial for military operations in central Somalia.

The Somali government announced that the airstrike, carried out late on Wednesday in coordination with the US Africa Command (Africom), came just hours after al-Shabab fighters launched a raid on the town using heavy explosives.

The attackers had reportedly taken control of Adan Yabaal, located north of the capital, Mogadishu, in the Middle Shabelle region.

In a statement shared on X, Somalia’s Ministry of Information described the airstrike as "well-coordinated" and said it was aimed at “neutralising the threat posed” by the militants.

The ministry further explained that the operation targeted a location used by Al-Shabab as a hideout and assembly point.

"Importantly, there were no civilian casualties," the statement added.

Among those killed were several senior members of the al-Qaeda-linked group, the ministry said.

The government did not disclose who currently controls the town following the fighting.

Two local residents told AFP news agency that militants had taken over Adan Yabaal, which has changed hands in the past. Al-Shabab captured the town in 2016 before government troops retook it in 2022.

The assault on Adan Yabaal comes during a period of renewed concern about the group’s strength, following a series of deadly attacks, including one that targeted President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy last month.

President Mohamud recently visited Adan Yabaal and held talks with military commanders, underlining the town's importance in the ongoing campaign against the insurgents.

The location has been used by Somali forces as a base for launching operations against militant-controlled areas.

Al-Shabab has been fighting to overthrow the federal government for nearly two decades and controls large portions of southern and central Somalia.

Despite a string of offensives and support from the African Union-led peacekeeping mission, the group continues to pose a major threat.

The Somali government insists that sustained military pressure has weakened the militants.

Nevertheless, Wednesday’s raid and the subsequent claim by al-Shabab that they had recaptured Adan Yabaal signal persistent challenges on the battlefield.

In a separate incident, the national army reported killing at least 35 fighters near Baidoa, a city in southwestern Somalia, on Thursday.

According to the information ministry, the militants had attempted to storm an army base in the area.

President Mohamud has played down the gains made by al-Shabab, saying that occasional losses are to be expected in the course of war.

"The government is determined to defeat the militants," he has repeatedly stated.

While the full impact of the airstrike is still unfolding, the fighting over Adan Yabaal has once again highlighted the ongoing struggle between Somali forces and the militant group, which continues to resist efforts to end its grip on parts of the country.