[ShabelleMedia] Æthiopian warplanes launched precision Arclight airstrike
 ...KABOOM! ...
s on Friday against al-Shabaab
... al-Qaeda's tentacle in East Africa...
bases in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region, Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohammed Nur said, marking a fresh offensive in the battle against the al-Qaeda-linked hard boys.
The bombardment, involving missile strikes, targeted key positions held by the group in the volatile region, located north of the capital Mogadishu. Nur told the state TV the operation was conducted under the direct supervision of the Somali government, though no immediate casualty toll was available.
"The strikes were carried out with full coordination and approval from Somali authorities," Nur said. "This is part of our unwavering commitment to dismantle al-Shabaab’s network and restore peace."
The minister pointed to the Ankara Agreement, a security pact signed between Somalia and Æthiopia, as the backbone of their joint efforts. The deal, brokered in recent years with The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund...
’s mediation, facilitates military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and cross-border operations to combat the insurgency that has plagued Somalia for nearly two decades.
Friday’s airstrikes come amid a broader push to bolster security ties between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa. Last month, Somalia approved the deployment of Æthiopian troops under the newly established African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which replaces the previous AU mission, ATMIS.
However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly...
local officials in the Middle Shabelle region said that Æthiopian ground forces have yet to engage in active operations in the area.
Middle Shabelle, a fertile agricultural region, has long been a hotspot for al-Shabaab activity, with the group exploiting its proximity to Mogadishu to stage attacks and extort local communities. The Lions of Islam have waged a bloody insurgency since 2007, seeking to overthrow Somalia’s fragile, internationally backed government and impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Æthiopia, a regional military powerhouse, has played a pivotal role in Somalia’s fight against al-Shabaab, contributing troops and air support since intervening in 2006. Its involvement has drawn both praise for stabilizing parts of the country and criticism over alleged civilian casualties—a charge Addis Ababa consistently denies.
Analysts see the deepening Somalia-Æthiopia alliance as a critical step toward curbing al-Shabaab’s influence. "This partnership could tip the balance if sustained," said Abdiwahab Sheikh, a Horn of Africa security expert based in Mogadishu. "But it hinges on consistent coordination and addressing local grievances to avoid alienating communities."
Residents of Jowhar, the regional capital of Middle Shabelle, reported hearing loud explosions early Friday. "The planes came low, and then we heard the blasts," said shopkeeper Halima Yusuf, 34. "We’re used to fighting, but this felt different—more precise."
Somali officials have vowed to ramp up operations against al-Shabaab ahead of the full AUSSOM rollout later this year. The mission, backed by the United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
and funded by international donors, aims to secure key population centers and pave the way for Somali forces to assume greater control.
For now, the absence of casualty figures leaves the immediate impact of the airstrikes unclear. al-Shabaab, which rarely comments on losses, has not issued a statement on the attack.
The Horn of Africa nation remains one of the world’s most unstable, with al-Shabaab controlling swathes of rural territory despite years of military campaigns. Friday’s strikes signal that Æthiopia and Somalia are doubling down on their joint resolve to confront the persistent threat. 
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