MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) said its forces, working with international partners, killed Bashiir Ahmed Haji Nunow in a planned operation in Jilib district in southern Somalia.
NISA said the operation took place on the night of Oct. 1 and described Nunow as a former head of Al-Shabaab’s Amniyat security and intelligence wing, a position the agency said he held between 2016 and 2024. The agency also listed Geescadde, Fanax, Gardhuub and Ali Dheere among his aliases.
According to NISA, Nunow was involved in planning and carrying out attacks targeting civilians, including the Oct. 14, 2017 bombing at the Zoobe intersection in Mogadishu, the Ex-Control Afgooye attack and the attack referred to as Soobe 2. The agency also linked him to attacks at hotels and other locations around Mogadishu’s Lido Beach.
The reported killing comes as Somali security forces and international partners continue operations against Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia. Jilib, in Middle Juba, has long been regarded as an important stronghold for the group.
U.S. Africa Command has also reported recent strikes against Al-Shabaab targets in the broader Jilib area, including operations near Welmaro and Ali Farhan in September. It has not publicly confirmed that a U.S. strike was involved in the Oct. 1 operation described by NISA.
NISA said the operation was part of continuing efforts to target senior Al-Shabaab figures and disrupt networks involved in planning and organizing attacks.
The agency described Nunow’s reported death as a setback for the group’s leadership and operational networks.
There is some uncertainty surrounding the identity details in the announcement. Recent reporting has noted that the name and alias “Geescadde” have previously appeared in UN and U.S. records in connection with Yusuf Ahmed Haji Nurow, who was identified as a former Amniyat leader and was reported to have been replaced as the group’s Amniyat emir in 2025. NISA’s latest statement instead identifies the person killed as Bashiir Ahmed Haji Nuunow. The agency has not publicly explained the discrepancy.
The latest operation is part of Somalia’s continuing campaign against Al-Shabaab, alongside efforts by international partners to weaken the group’s leadership, financing and operational networks.
