The Somali Federal Government confirmed on Tuesday that it had successfully eliminated a senior Al-Shabab leader who is suspected to be the mastermind behind terrorist attacks in Mogadishu in 2025. According to an official statement released by the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), the eliminated Al-Shabab leader had several different names, including Kamaludin Yonis Mohamed, Salim Nur Sheikh Abdirahiim, Arrale, and Abdilahi Hassan Ali. The NISA statement also revealed that he was the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks, including a raid on Godka Jilicow Prison on October 4, 2025, a suicide attack on Jaale Siyad Academy on July 9, 2025, and an attack on Dhego-Badan Military Training School on December 10, 2025. The agency stated that he personally managed units of Al-Shabab operatives responsible for carrying out deadly terrorist attacks in Mogadishu. The operation that resulted in the death of the Al-Shabab leader took place in Hantiwadaag settlement in Lower Shabelle province, after a large-scale offensive conducted by the Somali National Army (SNA) in collaboration with AUSSOM troops, specifically the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), who are operating in Somalia. During the operation, Al-Shabab bases in the region were also targeted. NISA revealed that the surveillance of this Al-Shabab leader took five months and that he had been hiding in areas where civilians lived, including Mubaarak, Ugunji, Daarasalaam, Hantiwadaag, Kurtunwaarey, and Gendershe. The agency stated that the operation was conducted meticulously and with public safety as a top priority, in order to avoid civilian harm. The government emphasized that the operation was a retaliatory one for the civilians, soldiers, and officers who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks led by this eliminated Al-Shabab leader. Finally, NISA stated that the fight against Al-Shabab will continue until lasting stability and security are achieved nationwide, and called on security agencies to share information on the group’s activities.
