Mogadishu, (SONNA) – More details emerged following a large-scale airstrikes targeting major Al-Shabaab strongholds in Jilib, Middle Juba region, causing significant losses to the militant group.
Preliminary reports obtained by National Media indicate that the strikes killed around 20 high- and mid-level commanders and over 100 Al-Shabaab fighters. These airstrikes are among the largest conducted in Jilib in recent times.
The first wave of strikes targeted the group’s main administrative headquarters in Jilib, which served as Al-Shabaab’s central command in the Jubba regions. The attack occurred while senior militants were holding a meeting, resulting in heavy casualties, including the deaths and injuries of top commanders and fighters.
A second strike hit a large facility used as both a training camp and a center for indoctrinating children. The assault specifically targeted residences of key Al-Shabaab figures responsible for recruiting and brainwashing children, inflicting severe losses among the group’s leadership and ranks.
Additionally, the Karuur depot — a massive stockpile used to store Al-Shabaab’s war supplies — was completely destroyed in the strikes. The facility caught fire due to fuel storage, leading to the total obliteration of weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment.
Several residential houses belonging to Al-Shabaab commanders were also struck, resulting in further deaths, injuries, and property destruction.
The once-secure Al-Shabaab stronghold of Jilib is now in disarray. Commanders who once moved freely in the town have fled to the surrounding forests and farms, abandoning what was once the group’s central command hub. The town is now eerily deserted as fear grips the remaining militants.
