KUDHA, SOMALIA – JANUARY 21, 2026 Islamist group Al-Shabaab announced that after heavy fighting it had taken control of the strategic island of Kudha in Somalia’s Lower Juba region. According to its claims, a local military facility was destroyed during the attack, dozens of government soldiers were killed or wounded, and more than twenty members of the Jubaland forces were captured. The group also claims it seized weapons, ammunition, and military equipment, but these figures have not been independently confirmed.
The capture of the island, which lies near the maritime border with Kenya, shows that Al-Shabaab continues to maintain the ability to operate in coastal and strategically sensitive areas. At the same time, reports have emerged of additional attacks in which the Islamists allegedly obtained drones and captured several government bases near the town of Warsheikh, prompting increased security measures in Mogadishu.
Al-Shabaab also claims that the captives from the island of Kudha later died in an alleged U.S. airstrike. This claim, however, has not been supported by any evidence or confirmed by independent sources. The events once again highlight Somalia’s instability and the ongoing threat posed by Islamist insurgents.
