SNA Forces Seize Al-Shabaab Hideout in Middle Shabelle, Defense Ministry Confirms

Somali National Army forces conducted a targeted ground operation in Middle Shabelle Region on April 28, 2026, seizing an Al-Shabaab hideout and disrupting the group's operational infrastructure along the Shabelle River corridor. The SNA Defense Ministry confirmed the operation, which yielded weapons caches and dismantled a forward position used to stage attacks against government-held towns. Middle Shabelle has been a persistent flashpoint in 2026: the NISA and international partners killed 33 militants in a two-phase operation at Guulane village on April 22, and the SNA's Gorgor Commando had earlier neutralized cells at War-Iise in March. The Shabelle corridor is critical as Al-Shabaab uses it for supply, financing, and staging attacks toward Mogadishu. The Middle Shabelle operation comes alongside the stalled SNA/Macawisley counter-offensive to retake Adan Yabal in Hiiraan and ongoing Operation Bader pressure in Lower Shabelle — indicating SNA is attempting to maintain multi-front pressure despite the political crisis in Mogadishu and ongoing international community concerns about the sustainability of the security transition.