Jubaland forces kill 250 Al-Shabaab militants in Kudhaa military operation
By Aloys Michael, January 23, 2026The death toll of Al-Shabaab fighters in the Kudhaa area has reached 250 as Jubaland forces beef up combat to stabilise the region amid a surge in assaults.
In a statement on Friday, January 23, 2026, Jubaland State House said that security operations are continuing to root out any remaining militants from their hideouts.
“According to the military officials, the enemy’s losses are increasing, with the bodies of the dead and wounded who fled the Khawarij in the forested area of Kudhaa. The official losses reported by the military officials show that the total number of Khawarij deaths has reached 250, while 13 prisoners are in custody, most of whom are injured and have been captured in the forested area of Kudhaa to this day,” the statement read in part.
The militia invaded Kudhaa Island in Lower Juba early Wednesday, January 21, 2026, morning, but were repulsed by Jubaland Forces, working alongside the Somali National Army’s Danab Forces and international partners. The operation recaptured the area, restoring it to Jubaland’s control.
“Jubaland government forces and Danab forces in the Jubaland sector are still fiercely pursuing the remnants of the Khawarij who fled from the Kudhaa area in the forested area of Badhaadhe district, after historic victories achieved by the Jubaland and Danab forces there, inflicting a heavy defeat on the enemy,” Jubaland Stated House said.
On Thursday, January 22, 2026, the Ministry of Defence and the Somali National Army Command reiterated that counter-terrorism operations will continue until lasting peace, stability, and security are achieved across the country.
Instability in Kudhaa
The group has been on the offensive for the past year, retaking much of the territory it had lost in campaigns by federal forces in recent years.
In the latest seizure, the attack began with a car bomb, followed by an infantry assault on a Jubaland regional forces base in the town, which lies about 100km (62 miles) south-east of the port city of Kismayo.
The capture of Kudhaa came amid a recent escalation in Al-Shabaab attacks against Somali security forces.
113 Jubaland regional forces were killed in the ensuing fighting, with 43 others wounded and 16 taken prisoner.
The group also released images purporting to show the seized Jubaland military base, the bodies of dead soldiers, and detainees whose faces were covered.