Somali military forces killed Al-Shabaab terrorist leaders during an attack-planning meeting in an operation reported between 10:45 PM and 11:45 PM UTC on February 2, 2026, according to Hiiraanweyn as shared by HMCsomaliTV on X. Separately, the United States did not attend a high-level meeting in Mogadishu announcing Somaliaās new Defence Committee, while representatives from IGAD, the African Union, European Union, Qatar, Turkey, China, Ethiopia, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and Canada participated, per BaidoaOnline on X. The Al-Shabaab operation targeted leaders gathered for planning an attack, with details confirmed by Hiiraanweyn via Radiohiran. In the same meeting on the Defence Committee, Somali Minister of Defence Omar Ali Abdi stated via SMSSomaliTV on X, "#Mogadishu does not need #mortars, #RPGs, or bazookas to be brought in. I came here today in support of #Horseed. Peace prevails here." The US absence from the Defence Committee announcement drew note from a senior analyst cited by BaidoaOnline, who stated the United States is dissatisfied with the current Somali government. The meeting occurred today in Mogadishu and included senior Somali security officials alongside the listed international partners. Unrelated Ethiopian conflict reports from Victory News via Geteriew1 on X described a Fano operation by Menelik and Gondar Commands neutralizing 39 regime soldiers, including heavy weapon operators, but occurred outside the reporting window focused on Somalia.
