The Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) announced on Friday morning that 82 members of the Al-Shabaab militant group, including senior commanders, were killed in airstrikes carried out in the Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia.

In an official statement, the agency added that 19 other militants were injured in the strikes, which targeted the Sabid and Aanole areas and began late Thursday night.

The operation is part of Somalia’s ongoing efforts to eliminate Al-Shabaab, an extremist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, responsible for numerous deadly attacks across the country.

In recent weeks, the Somali army—often in coordination with the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)—has conducted multiple airstrikes in the Middle Shabelle region of Hirshabelle State, killing dozens of militants.

These operations aim to weaken the group’s operational capacity and restore security in key regions.