JUBBALAND — Somalia's army killed 27 al-Shabab fighters during a joint military operation in the autonomous state of Jubbaland, the country's Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The operation was carried out alongside Jubbaland security forces across the Lower Jubba and Middle Jubba regions, with support from international partners who conducted air strikes.

The ministry said the operation targeted the districts of Jilib, Xagar, and Afmadow. Key members of al-Shabab were among those killed during the fighting, according to the statement. The ministry did not identify the international partners that participated in the operation.

Somali forces also seized a cache of weapons and ordnance during the operation, including BKM machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47 rifles, and landmines that the ministry said were intended to be used against civilians. Additional operations are ongoing to pursue remaining al-Shabab elements to ensure security, stability, and the safety of civilians throughout Somalia, according to the statement.

Al-Shabab is linked to al-Qaeda and seeks to topple Somalia's central government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law. The group controls large areas of southern and central Somalia and has claimed responsibility for attacks in neighboring Kenya, Uganda, and Djibouti. The United States Africa Command considers al-Shabab the largest, wealthiest, and most lethal al-Qaeda-affiliated organization globally.

Somalia's federal government has been battling al-Shabab since 2007. Between January and July 2025, almost 60,000 people were displaced by fighting between government forces and al-Shabab in Somalia's Middle Shabelle region, a separate area from where the Jubbaland operation took place.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has previously spoken against the group. "The group is destroying Somalia and destroying the Somali people," Mohamud said last year. He also said, "The group is making the country weak."