Somalia

Somali government forces, supported by local defense units, have successfully repelled a planned Al-Shabaab attack on the Wargaadhi area in Middle Shabelle, dealing a significant blow to the militant group’s operations in central Somalia.

Somali intelligence officials said Thursday that a precision airstrike last month dealt a significant blow to Al-Shabaab, killing two of the group’s most senior commanders, including its chief explosives expert who had long evaded capture despite a multi-million-dollar U.S. bounty.

Somali authorities have hit the pause button on a controversial new travel mandate. The Immigration and Citizenship Agency announced today that it will delay the requirement for domestic travelers to carry a National ID, pushing the enforcement date back from New Year’s Day to March 1, 2026.

For two full days, the streets of Baidoa have been swallowed by an eerie silence. There was no warning, no explanation—just a sudden snap, and then the lights went out.

A senior Somali military commander visited key front-line areas in the Middle Shabelle region on Friday, where government forces are conducting heavy operations against the Islamist group Al-Shabaab.

The Somali Opposition Forum strongly rejects reports claiming Israel has recognised Somaliland, emphasizing Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and calling for regional stability.

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has hailed the ongoing Banadir regional local council elections as a defining moment in the country’s long journey toward democratic recovery.

Somalia’s main opposition coalition, the Future Council, has once again rejected the upcoming Mogadishu local council election scheduled for Thursday, December 25.