The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), in coordination with Somalia’s federal government, launched an airstrike against al-Shabaab militants near the Adan Yabaal district in the Middle Shabelle region on April 16, 2025.
According to an AFRICOM statement released Monday, the precision strike resulted in no civilian casualties, though the number of militants killed has not been publicly disclosed. The operation followed a coordinated al-Shabaab assault on Adan Yabaal earlier that day, which forced Somali government forces to retreat after heavy fighting.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, has recently intensified its insurgency, capturing strategic areas and targeting both local and international security forces. The loss of Adan Yabaal—a town located approximately 220 kilometers north of Mogadishu—marks a notable blow to the Somali government’s ongoing military campaign in central regions.
AFRICOM emphasized its ongoing support for Somali-led operations to counter extremism, vowing to continue targeting the group’s ability to plan and launch attacks. “We remain committed to our Somali and international partners in degrading al-Shabaab’s threat to regional and global security,” the command said.