SNA 14th October Brigade Commander Col. Nur Farey Assassinated by Suspected Al-Shabaab Infiltrator Near Afgooye

Colonel Nur Farey, commander of the Somali National Army's 14th October Brigade, was shot dead on Saturday April 5, 2026, by a gunman wearing a military uniform at Abdow Dibille military camp near Afgooye town in Lower Shabelle region. Farey was addressing troops preparing for an anti-Al-Shabaab operation when the attacker — assessed by security officials as a likely Al-Shabaab infiltrator who had penetrated the unit — opened fire. The colonel was killed instantly; the gunman was apprehended by other soldiers at the scene. The Somali government launched a formal investigation. Nur Farey was an experienced operational commander who led SNA frontline operations in Lower Shabelle, playing a significant role in the Mogadishu–Baidoa corridor counter-insurgency. His killing is consistent with Al-Shabaab's documented strategy of embedding infiltrators within security forces — a tactic described in multiple UN Monitoring Group reports. The killing drew condemnation from the FGS and international partners. Some Somali media outlets noted unverified speculation that the killing may have had political dimensions given Farey's reported associations with opposition circles, but the official investigation is treating it as an Al-Shabaab insider attack.