Kenyan and Somali Forces Kill 37 Al-Shabaab Militants

Security forces in Kenya and Somalia killed 37 Al-Shabaab militants in coordinated efforts to degrade the group's operational capacity on July 13, 2026. In Kenya, the elite Special Operations Group conducted an intelligence-led raid on a makeshift camp in Mandera County near the Somalia border, killing at least 11 militants and wounding seven others. Security officials reported that roughly 30 militants had gathered at the site to plan assaults on border villages before the raid forced survivors to flee into Somalia.

During the Kenyan operation, forces recovered three PKM machine guns, 409 rounds of ammunition, and administrative documents regarding mandatory religious taxes, which authorities believe will provide intelligence on the group's financial operations.

Simultaneously, the Somali National Army executed a series of airstrikes in the Middle Shabelle region of southern Somalia. These strikes targeted locations including Cadow Jilib, Geyfo, and Qordheere, resulting in the deaths of 26 militants. The military also destroyed an armored vehicle and a fuel tanker. The Ministry of Defense of Somalia stated these actions are part of a broader strategy to pursue leadership and disrupt the group's ability to organize terrorist attacks.