Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) announced that it had killed a senior al-Shabab operative in a planned operation carried out with international partners in the southern town of Jilib. The agency identified the individual as Bashir Ahmed Haji Nunow, a former head of al-Shabab's Amniyat security wing. According to NISA, Nunow was killed during the operation on October 1, 2026.
NISA said Nunow led the militant group's Amniyat unit between 2016 and 2024 and operated under several aliases, including Geescadde, Fanax, Gardhuub, and Ali Dheere. The agency accused Nunow of playing a senior role in planning and carrying out attacks against Somali civilians. His activities were closely monitored by Somali intelligence, which linked him to several major attacks in Mogadishu.
The agency specifically attributed several major attacks in Mogadishu to Nunow, including the October 14, 2017, bombing at the Soobe intersection. NISA also linked him to the Ex-Control Afgooye attack and the attack known as Soobe 2, along with assaults targeting hotels and other locations around Mogadishu's Lido Beach. These attacks resulted in significant casualties and damage to property.
The operation that resulted in Nunow's death formed part of a wider campaign to pursue senior al-Shabab figures accused of directing attacks and maintaining the networks used to organise militant operations. According to NISA, the killing could disrupt al-Shabab's leadership and the networks responsible for planning and executing attacks. This development may impact the group's operational capabilities.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group, has waged an insurgency in Somalia for more than a decade and continues to carry out attacks despite military operations by Somali forces and their international partners. The group remains a significant threat to regional stability and security. Efforts to combat the insurgency are ongoing.
The Somali government has increasingly focused on targeting the group's senior leadership and disrupting its command, intelligence, and financial networks as part of efforts to weaken the insurgency. The government has intensified operations against al-Shabab, with a focus on dismantling its structures and preventing further attacks. International partners continue to provide support for these efforts.
NISA did not provide details on how Nunow was killed or whether other people were killed or wounded in the operation. The agency's statement confirmed that the operation was carried out in Jilib, a town in the Lower Juba region of Somalia. Further information about the operation may be released as it becomes available.
Key points
- Bashir Ahmed Haji Nunow, a former head of al-Shabab's Amniyat security wing, was killed in a planned operation by Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in Jilib on October 1, 2026.
