SNA and AUSSOM Repel Al-Shabaab Assault on Mubarak, 40 Militants Killed

Somali National Army forces supported by Ugandan AUSSOM Battle Group troops repelled a large-scale Al-Shabaab assault on Mubarak town in Lower Shabelle Region. The Somali Ministry of Defence reported 40 Al-Shabaab militants killed in the engagement. Mubarak had recently been recaptured during Operation Rolling Thunder / Operation Hilaac and was identified as a base Al-Shabaab used to plan and stage attacks on Mogadishu from the southwest corridor. SNA operations to consolidate control in the Lower Shabelle area continued, with the town's strategic position on the Mogadishu–Barawe route making it a persistent flashpoint.