Monday March 31, 2025

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali National Army (SNA) Danab Commandos, in collaboration with Jubbaland’s Dervish forces, conducted a joint military operation on Monday targeting Al-Shabaab militant positions in the northern parts of the Lower Juba region.

According to military officials, the operation focused on areas where Al-Shabaab was forcibly collecting Zakatul Fitr—an obligatory alms payment during Ramadan—from local civilians.

The officials stated that the forces destroyed key Al-Shabaab positions and inflicted significant losses on the group, though exact casualty figures were not disclosed.

Lower Juba remains one of the regions where Al-Shabaab retains a foothold, and it frequently sees clashes and counterterror operations by federal and Jubbaland forces.

Monday’s offensive is part of the Somali government’s broader campaign to dismantle Al-Shabaab’s operational capacity across the country.

The federal government, with support from local militias and international partners, has intensified its military offensive across multiple fronts in recent months, including in Hirshabelle, Galmudug, and the Shabelle regions.