Somali forces killed more than 75 al-Shabaab militants and wounded another 56 during an hours-long battle in the country’s southwestern Bay region, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The fighting erupted after al-Shabaab militants attacked a Somali military convoy carrying supplies between the towns of Leego and Burhakaba in South West state.
The ministry said troops operating under Operation Banooda fought to repel the attack and protect the convoy.
During the battle, al-Shabaab militants drove an explosives-laden vehicle toward a Somali army position, but it detonated before reaching its target, the ministry said.
The ministry said the army would continue pursuing al-Shabaab militants and those providing them with support or shelter.
The casualty figures could not be independently verified.
The Somali government refers to al-Shabaab as “Khawaarij,” a term it uses to describe the al-Qaeda-affiliated group, which has been fighting government forces and African Union peacekeepers since 2007.
Since July, the Somali army, backed by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and other international partners, has intensified operations against the group.
The UN Security Council renewed AUSSOM’s mandate in December 2025, extending its authorization until Dec. 31, 2026.
