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A senior al-Shabaab commander and one of the founding members of the militant group has been killed in a Somali government airstrike in Middle Jubba, the Ministry of Defence confirmed on Monday. The strike, which took place on the night of October 26, targeted Bu’aale, a well-known al-Shabaab stronghold, and eliminated Mahmoud Abdi Hamud, commonly known by his alias Jaafar Gurey.
According to officials, Gurey was one of the earliest members of al-Shabaab and played a major role in shaping the group’s intelligence and financial networks. The Defence Ministry described him as a key figure who influenced the group’s growth and operations from its inception. He reportedly worked closely with the late al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, particularly in the group’s early years when they were securing funding to expand their influence across Somalia.
Government reports indicate that Gurey was instrumental in orchestrating the extortion of funds from an Ethiopian company, money that later financed al-Shabaab’s formation and operations. Over the years, he held several high-ranking positions within the group, including Head of External Security, Head of Leadership Security, and Head of Intelligence Tracking. Each of these roles placed him at the heart of the group’s most secretive and dangerous activities, including espionage, operational planning, and targeted assassinations.
The Somali Defence Ministry said Gurey’s death marks a significant step forward in the government’s ongoing offensive to dismantle al-Shabaab’s leadership and weaken its grip on parts of southern and central Somalia. The strike in Bu’aale is part of a broader military campaign supported by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and other international partners. The joint effort aims to restore stability, reclaim territory, and cripple the militant network that has terrorized the country for more than a decade.
Somali security officials say eliminating key commanders like Gurey not only disrupts the group’s leadership but also affects its ability to plan and coordinate large-scale attacks. The Ministry emphasized that the ongoing military operations will continue until all major strongholds of the group are cleared and government authority is restored across the nation.
This latest strike follows a series of successful operations carried out in recent months targeting al-Shabaab’s senior leadership. In September, the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) announced the killing of senior leader Abdi Hiiray and two other commanders in the Mokhakori district. Earlier that same month, NISA and its international allies killed Mohamed Abdi Dhiblawe, who was accused of orchestrating a March attack on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy in Mogadishu.
Despite suffering heavy losses, al-Shabaab remains active and continues to stage deadly attacks across Somalia. The group frequently uses improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide bombings to target government officials, security forces, and civilians. For more than 16 years, al-Shabaab has fought to overthrow Somalia’s federal government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The Somali government, with support from its regional and international partners, remains determined to defeat the group completely. Officials say the death of Jaafar Gurey sends a strong message to al-Shabaab’s remaining leaders that there will be no safe haven for anyone who threatens Somalia’s peace and stability. The government has vowed to sustain pressure on the group until its command structure collapses and the country achieves lasting security.