NISA Kills 9 Al-Shabaab Militants in Two Lower Shabelle Operations; IED Factory Destroyed

Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), in collaboration with international partners, conducted two separate operations in the Lower Shabelle region on April 4, 2026. The first operation targeted a militant site in the Kunya Barrow area, killing six Al-Shabaab fighters and destroying a militant facility NISA described as equipped with large engines used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs) — including mines and vehicle-borne explosive devices (VBIEDs) — that have been used to attack SNA convoys and civilian vehicles on the Mogadishu–Baidoa road corridor. Six engines were seized or destroyed in this phase. The second operation targeted Al-Shabaab fighters in forested areas of the Togarey locality of Lower Shabelle, killing three militants who were in hiding. Total casualties in both operations: 9 Al-Shabaab fighters killed. The operations underscore the continued intensity of NISA counter-insurgency activity in Lower Shabelle, where Operation Rolling Thunder / Hilaac has been driving Al-Shabaab from logistics and rear-area support nodes.