Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) says its forces, working with international partners, killed a former senior Al-Shabaab commander during a planned operation in Jilib district.
In a statement issued on October 6, NISA said Bashir Ahmed Haji Nunow was killed during an operation conducted on the night of October 1, 2026. The agency identified him as a former head of Al-Shabaab’s Amniyat, the group’s security and intelligence wing, a position it said he held between 2016 and 2024.
According to NISA, Nunow also operated under the aliases Geescadde, Fanax, Gardhuub and Ali Dheere.
The agency described Nunow as a senior Al-Shabaab figure who played a major role in planning and carrying out attacks targeting Somali civilians.
NISA attributed to him involvement in several major attacks, including the October 14, 2017 bombing at the Soobe intersection in Mogadishu, the Ex-Control Afgooye attack, the Soobe 2 attack and attacks targeting hotels and other locations around Mogadishu’s Liido Beach.
The agency said the operation was part of its ongoing efforts, in cooperation with international partners, to pursue senior Al-Shabaab leaders involved in attacks against civilians and disrupt networks used to plan, organize and carry out terrorist attacks.
NISA described the killing of Nunow as a significant blow to Al-Shabaab’s leadership and operational networks.
Mustaqbal
