Mogadishu (Raxanreeb Online) — The Minister of Defence of the Federal Government of Somalia, Ahmed Macalin Fiqi, has revealed that over the past year alone, 800 fighters from Al-Shabaab and Daesh — including 50 senior commanders — have been killed in military operations.

The Defence Minister made the remarks during a session in the Upper House of Parliament, where he appeared today to respond to questions from senators.

Minister Fiqi stated that the government is now preparing a renewed offensive aimed at completely eliminating Al-Shabaab, noting that operations will particularly focus on areas recently recaptured from the group, as well as territories they have long held.

He pointed out that in recent months, the government has been heavily engaged in reforming and restructuring the training of the Somali National Army (SNA).

The Minister further noted that a proposal has been submitted to include an additional 10,000 soldiers in the national budget in order to replace those who were killed, wounded, permanently disabled, or who deserted.

Minister Ahmed Macalin Fiqi also highlighted major structural challenges faced by the Somali National Army — stressing that they currently lack domestic factories capable of producing uniforms, weapons, and ammunition — which continues to impact operational effectiveness.