Mogadishu (Dawan Africa)- Al-Shabaab’s most feared battlefield commander, Nur Abdi Roble, widely known as Nunule, has been killed in a targeted ambush by the Mawisley militia, in what security analysts describe as a historic blow to the militant group’s military leadership.
The ambush occurred in Garas Magan, a strategic village between Tawalka and El Hareri in Somalia’s Hiiraan region— an area long used by Al-Shabaab for movement and logistical coordination. Nunule was seriously wounded in the attack and died four days later in his hometown of Elbur district, Galgaduud region.
At the time of his death, Nunule, aged 50 and from the Hawiye – Duduble clan, held the rank of Supreme Military Commander within Al-Shabaab — a title that earned him the nickname “War God.” He was the mastermind behind key military offensives across Galgadud, Mudug, Hiiraan, and Middle Shabelle, and was widely credited with designing and leading the group’s successful infiltration of Adan Yabal.
Renowned for his battlefield intuition, mastery of guerrilla tactics, and strategic coordination, Nunule was considered irreplaceable within Al-Shabaab’s command structure. His death, security analysts say, has left a vacuum the group will struggle to fill.
He was killed alongside six other senior Al-Shabaab operatives during the same ambush. Their names, roles, and clan affiliations are as follows:
The successful ambush by Mawisley militia underscores the growing role of community-led resistance in degrading Al-Shabaab’s command capabilities. Analysts believe Nunule’s death will severely disrupt the group’s operational planning, limit its ability to coordinate across regions, and deal a lasting blow to its momentum in central Somalia.
“This wasn’t just a tactical kill,” said Ahmed Abdulrahman regional analyst. “This was the collapse of Al-Shabaab’s military brain.
