KISMAYO, Somalia — Jubaland has sent a large detachment of the elite Jubbaland Dervish Force into northern Lower Juba to confront Al-Shabaab militants, intensifying efforts to wrest the area from extremist control, officials said on Friday.
State television broadcast images on Thursday of the well-equipped troops moving towards combat zones, joining forces with Somali national soldiers and international backers in a widening offensive.
The deployment follows a successful joint operation by Somali Danab Commandos and Jubaland units that recently smashed a key Al-Shabaab base in the region, dealing a heavy setback to the jihadists’ presence, according to local authorities.
Jubaland leaders vowed the stepped-up campaign would target militant-held pockets across Lower and Middle Juba, aiming to free the territories and pave the way for civilian rule.
The push comes weeks after a devastating airstrike, mounted by Somali forces with foreign support, hit Jilib—Al-Shabaab’s main bastion in the south—killing numerous fighters and throwing the group’s leadership into disarray, Somali officials reported.
This latest escalation reflects a broader strategy to dismantle Al-Shabaab’s long-standing dominance in southern Somalia, where the group has thrived amid years of unrest.
