International partners supported by the Somali National Army carried out an airstrike targeting a gathering of Al-Shabaab leaders in the Lower Jubba region on Friday .
Jamame, a town in southern Somalia’s Lower Juba region, has gained notoriety as a stronghold for the Islamist extremist group Al-Shabaab. The town acts as a crucial operational centre for the organization’s military, logistical, and administrative operations. Al-Shabaab is able to maintain control over trade and taxation, generate income for its operations, and carry out attacks on nearby targets thanks to its advantageous location bordering Kenya and close to important towns like Kismayo and Bardhere.
Military officials from the country’s 43rd division reported that the joint operation occurred on Friday evening, around 6:15 p.m. The airstrike was launched approximately 14 kilometres from the Jamame district in the Lower Jubba region.
“The objective of the airstrike was a meeting of Khawarij leaders. It resulted in substantial casualties,” the officials disclosed to the state media.
However, the federal government did not give specific details regarding the exact number of casualties.
On Friday, the Somali government announced the death of a high-ranking Al-Shabaab leader, Ali Ahmed Guure (also known as Ali Qoyane), during a critical military operation in the Galgaduud region the previous day.
The operation, executed by the Somali army between Gal’ad and Barag Sheikh Aamir, also resulted in the deaths of two other Al-Shabaab members. The Ministry of Information of Somalia credited the operation’s success to crucial local intelligence.
In addition to eliminating Guure, the operation intercepted and confiscated a Toyota Noah van, believed to be ferrying other Al-Shabaab members and weapons.
