Somalia’s Defence Ministry said more than 100 Al-Shabaab fighters, including several field commanders, were killed on 18 August in a joint operation with international partners near Awdheegle in the Lower Shabelle region. The raid is one of the heaviest reported losses for the al-Qaida-linked group this year and forms part of a broader government push to retake rural areas that remain under insurgent control. Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi toured frontline positions in Xaluule, Middle Shabelle, on 19 August, commending the clan-based Macawisley militia for recent gains and calling for an intensified campaign to “fully liberate the region.” His visit followed the launch of a new phase in President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s nationwide offensive against Al-Shabaab, now in its third year. Separately, Puntland Defence Forces reported advances in their “final push” against Islamic State cells in the Cal-Miskaad mountains of Bari region, highlighting the multipronged effort by Somali authorities to dismantle jihadist networks that have destabilised the Horn of Africa country for more than a decade.