MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) says its forces, supported by international partners, carried out a planned overnight raid in the Basra area of Middle Shabelle, killing seven al-Shabaab militants, including senior commanders.

Officials said the operation targeted a militant hideout after intelligence reports revealed the group was preparing attacks along the Mogadishu–Balcad corridor. Three other fighters were wounded in the assault.

According to NISA, the militants were part of a 40-member cell organizing “operations to destabilize security” in the region.

“Our forces successfully neutralized the threat and destroyed the site where the group was gathering,” NISA said in a statement on Tuesday.

Intelligence-led counterterrorism raid

The agency said the raid followed “precise intelligence verification” confirming that the militants were planning to strike transport routes linking the capital to nearby towns. The hideout — a network of tents and temporary shelters — was destroyed in the operation.

“The operation concluded successfully without civilian casualties,” NISA said, adding that Somali intelligence and security forces “fully thwarted” an imminent al-Shabaab attack.

Basra, located about 45 kilometers north of Mogadishu, has long served as a key transit corridor for militants moving between the Shabelle River region and the capital.

Somali forces, often working in conjunction with the African Union and international partners, have intensified operations in recent months to disrupt the insurgent movement.

Attack on high-security NISA base

The Basra operation came just three days after Somali security forces repelled a brazen daylight assault by al-Shabaab militants on the high-security Jilacow interrogation center in Mogadishu — one of NISA’s most sensitive facilities.

The October 4 attack left all seven assailants dead, according to the government, which described the incident as a reminder of the group’s persistent threat despite ongoing military gains.

Authorities said their forces “swiftly responded and successfully neutralized all seven terrorists who attempted to storm the facility,” bringing the attack “to an end in a short period.”

The militants, disguised in military uniforms and driving a vehicle painted with army insignia, managed to bypass several security checkpoints in the heavily fortified capital before being stopped at the compound.

Officials said the assault exposed “security vulnerabilities that need to be addressed urgently,” prompting new directives to restrict the use of military-painted vehicles and tighten weapon movement within Mogadishu.

The Jilacow facility has been targeted before — including a 2014 attempt to free prisoners. The government described the latest assault as an “act of desperation,” coming a day after Somali forces and allied militias announced the capture of four strategic towns in the southern Lower Shabelle region.

Sustained pressure on al-Shabaab

Somalia’s government, backed by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and international partners, has waged a year-long campaign to weaken al-Shabaab’s grip across central and southern regions.

In recent airstrikes on the group’s southern strongholds, officials said several senior operatives were killed, including Mohamed Osman Mohamed, known as Tuutax — the deputy head of the group’s intelligence and explosives division, the Amniyat.

Despite these setbacks, the al-Qaeda-linked group continues to carry out high-profile attacks in urban areas while maintaining control of some rural strongholds.

Analysts say incidents like the Jilacow assault illustrate both al-Shabaab’s adaptability and Somalia’s fragile security environment.

In its latest statement, NISA urged citizens to report any information related to militant activity through its hotlines — 199, 0770747474, or 0620545454 — emphasizing that public cooperation remains vital to national security.

“Somalia’s future stability depends on shared vigilance,” the agency said.

As the government tightens its counterterrorism measures, both the Jilacow assault and the Basra raid highlight the fragile balance between progress and persistent threats in Somalia’s long fight against extremism.