MOGADISHU — Local defense forces in the Wargaadhi area of the Middle Shabelle region have killed a senior Al-Shabaab operative during a targeted raid in the village of Tawakal.

The deceased commander, 57-year-old Abdullahi Mohamud Odowaa, known by the alias Faadhuud, managed the militant group’s financial extortion network, overseeing forced revenue collection under the guise of religious taxation. Odowaa, who joined the insurgent organization in 2009, was a prominent figure in the area and held long-standing responsibility for the systematic intimidation of local populations.

The operation was carried out inside militant-controlled territory by two members of the local defense forces, identified as Farah Isman Raage and Ja’far Ahmed Dhuxul, who infiltrated the sector to carry out the strike.

The elimination of Odowaa marks a continuation of escalated security operations across Middle Shabelle, where local and allied forces have intensified targeted actions against key Al-Shabaab figures in recent days.