The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), in collaboration with international partners, announced on Thursday that they had killed two senior members of the militant group Al-Shabab in separate operations in Southern Somalia. According to NISA, one operation took place on March 19 between the town of Jilib in the Middle Jubba region and the area of Kuunyo Barrow, resulting in the death of Abdixamiid Ali Abdillahi Ma’alin. Ma’alin was described as a senior operative responsible for coordinating between Al-Shabab and international extremist networks. The agency stated that Ma’alin oversaw the smuggling of weapons and explosive materials and played a key role in planning and executing attacks in Somalia. In a separate operation on March 15 in Ungunji, Lower Shabelle region, NISA killed another senior figure, Sulieman Omar Fidow. Fidow, also known by several aliases including Faruq Mohamed Abdullahi and Ali Said, was the head of Al-Shabab’s suicide bombers unit. NISA also revealed that Fidow had previously served in the group’s intelligence wing and was being groomed to replace a senior explosives chief known as “Engineer Ismail,” who was killed in an operation in December of last year. The agency emphasized that these operations were part of ongoing efforts, supported by international partners, to degrade the militant group’s leadership and operational capabilities.
